champion

noun

cham·pi·on | \ˈcham-pē-ən

Definition of champion

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : warrior, fighter a champion of his king

2 : a militant advocate or defender a champion of civil rights

3 : one that does battle for another's rights or honor God will raise me up a champion— Sir Walter Scott

4 : a winner of first prize or first place in competition a tennis champion also : one who shows marked superiority a champion at selling

champion

verb

championed; championing; champions

Definition of champion (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 archaic : challenge, defy

2 : to protect or fight for as a champion championed the ladies chivalrously in the tilts

3 : to act as militant supporter of : uphold, advocate always champions the cause of the underdog

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about champion

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Choose the Right Synonym for champion

Verb

support, uphold, advocate, back, champion mean to favor actively one that meets opposition. support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given. supports waterfront development uphold implies extended support given to something attacked. upheld the legitimacy of the military action advocate stresses urging or pleading. advocated prison reform back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling. refusing to back the call for sanctions champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause. championed the rights of children

Examples of champion in a Sentence

Noun

the heavyweight boxing champion of the world Our team will play the defending champions next week. the newly crowned national champions He was a champion for the working classes.

Verb

She is a lawyer who champions children's rights. Our senator championed the idea of lowering taxes.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Dave DeGroot is sort of the local champion of the Foxconn factory. — Josh Dzieza, The Verge, "An interview with Reply All’s Sruthi Pinnamaneni," 6 Dec. 2018 Arjen Robben also scored twice for the German champions and Franck Ribery completed the rout. — Samuel Petrequin, The Seattle Times, "7 more teams qualify for Champions League knockout stage," 27 Nov. 2018 Here, six things to know about the talented new champion. 1. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "6 Things to Know About Naomi Osaka, the 2018 U.S. Open Women’s Singles Champion," 10 Sep. 2018 The Astros’ and Cubs’ transformation from bottom-dwellers to World Series champions romanticizes the approach, but there are plenty of other teams that failed to hit pay dirt. — Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times, "Like it or not, the Mariners had to trade James Paxton," 19 Nov. 2018 This weaponization of the law against the very philosophy that one claims to champion is a case study in irony. — Rebecca Jennings, Vox, "A men’s rights activist sued a women’s beer event," 24 Oct. 2018 Kardashian West continued to champion ’90s-era bold color and donned a body-skimming dress, which the television star amped up with kitschy accessories. — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "Kim Kardashian West’s Latest Look? Latex Barbie, Of Course," 22 Aug. 2018 In the last year of his life, Bourdain was a staunch supporter of Argento and one of #MeToo’s most outspoken male champions. — Anna Silman, The Cut, "Celebrities Pen Powerful Open Letter Defending Asia Argento Against Misogynist Trolls," 13 July 2018 His rise from undrafted free agent to Super Bowl champion was a testament to his intelligence, character and athleticism. — Rich Campbell, chicagotribune.com, "Had to be 'U': Tight end Trey Burton's transformative position in the Bears offense," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Delaware two years ago began a program to use blockchain technology within its corporate registry services, though the initiative lost steam after Gov. Jack Markell, who championed it, left office. — Paul Vigna, WSJ, "Pay Taxes With Bitcoin? Ohio Says Sure," 26 Nov. 2018 But there has also been progress; and that’s in part thanks to outspoken activists like Tess Holliday, who champions self-love and size diversity and speaks out against hate. — Bartie Scott, Teen Vogue, "Tess Holiday Discussed Owning Her Sexuality and Dealing with Hate," 16 Nov. 2018 The annual gala celebrates names in the industry who champion key values such as sustainability (Maria Cornejo) and philanthropy (Barbara Bradley Baekgaard). — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "Calvin, Donna, Vera! Inside the Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars," 26 Oct. 2018 That already stood in strong contrast to her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder of the Social Democrats, who long championed the gas connection. — Rick Noack, Washington Post, "The Russian pipeline to Germany that Trump is so mad about, explained," 11 July 2018 Allen Peake, a state representative who has championed medical marijuana for children in Georgia, expressed outrage at the news of Harris' ineligibility. — Wayne Drash, CNN, "Cannabis oil stopped his seizures but may keep him from his football dream," 25 May 2018 Early in his tenure, President Lyndon Johnson focused on championing the causes of the late John F. Kennedy. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Public transit’s missed opportunity," 20 Nov. 2018 In New York, the Detroit auto maker initially allied with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who paved the way for driverless-car testing by championing a new law making it legal in the state. — Tim Higgins, WSJ, "Self-Driving Cars Encounter Political Roadblocks," 19 Nov. 2018 This is not the first time Bella has championed such a look, just a month ago, she was seen wearing an unbuttoned yellow cardigan and high-waisted jeans while in Paris. — Avery Matera, Teen Vogue, "Bella Hadid Wore an Unbuttoned Shirt Hanging Out With The Weeknd," 30 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'champion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.