cellar dweller
noun
sports, informal
: a last-place team : a team with the worst record in a league, conference, etc.
Northwestern University, long a cellar dweller in the Big Ten, defied all odds and went to the Rose Bowl in 1995.—
Andrew Zimbalist
Andrew Zimbalist… any team in the majors—including the cellar dwellers from the season before—has the chance to be the best in the game.—Tracy Ringolsby
Tracy RingolsbyThe Aggies have morphed from conference cellar dweller to annual contender to a program that has won 17 consecutive home games …—Ailene Voisin
Ailene VoisinExamples of cellar dweller in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Things were bleak in Champaign, where Illinois had become a regular cellar dweller in the Big Ten and wasn’t much of a threat to shake up the conference’s power dynamic.
—Grace Raynor, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
For years now, Gobert has been a safety net for Minnesota when things aren’t going well, particularly against cellar dwellers.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2025
Upcoming road trips to cellar dweller South Carolina (Saturday) and Arkansas (Wednesday) are both tricky but winnable.
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
The 49ers’ 6-11 fall from NFC champions to NFC West cellar dwellers was ushered by a defense that ranked 29th in points allowed (25.6 per game).
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
Several of our major sports franchises haven't just lost but have been cellar dwellers for most of 2024.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
With one home game remaining against Big 12 cellar dweller OSU on Nov. 29, the atmosphere this fall has been among the greatest, if not the greatest, in the stadium’s 101-year history.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
The Cougars, at 8-0, were also predicted to be conference cellar dwellers in the preseason.
—David Close, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Especially to the Chicago White Sox, which in only a few years has fallen from a legitimate World Series contender to cellar dweller extraordinaire.
—Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
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Grace Raynor, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
For years now, Gobert has been a safety net for Minnesota when things aren’t going well, particularly against cellar dwellers.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2025
Upcoming road trips to cellar dweller South Carolina (Saturday) and Arkansas (Wednesday) are both tricky but winnable.
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
The 49ers’ 6-11 fall from NFC champions to NFC West cellar dwellers was ushered by a defense that ranked 29th in points allowed (25.6 per game).
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
Several of our major sports franchises haven't just lost but have been cellar dwellers for most of 2024.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
With one home game remaining against Big 12 cellar dweller OSU on Nov. 29, the atmosphere this fall has been among the greatest, if not the greatest, in the stadium’s 101-year history.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
The Cougars, at 8-0, were also predicted to be conference cellar dwellers in the preseason.
—David Close, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Especially to the Chicago White Sox, which in only a few years has fallen from a legitimate World Series contender to cellar dweller extraordinaire.
—Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Cellar dweller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellar%20dweller. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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