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

Gentry has a regular-season record of 145-183 with one playoff appearance last season and one playoff series victory — a sweep of Portland before losing in five games to eventual champion Golden State. — Brett Martel, The Seattle Times, "AP sources: Pelicans hiring former Cavs GM Griffin," 12 Apr. 2019 After spending nine years with Real Madrid, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo is headed to Serie A champion Juventus, Real Madrid announced Tuesday. — Khadrice Rollins, SI.com, "Real Madrid Announces Cristiano Ronaldo's Transfer to Juventus," 10 July 2018 Fortunately, the three-time and currently defending champions have a striking new kit courtesy of Nike to wear to the tournament. — Rachel Marlowe, Vogue, "Nike Unveils the US Women’s National Soccer Team’s World Cup Kit," 11 Mar. 2019 Those additions turned out to be precisely what Sarri needed to revive a squad that seemed to lose its purpose last season, even as defending champions. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "The Premier League Was Supposed to be a Two-Team Race. But Chelsea Keeps Hanging Around.," 19 Oct. 2018 The South Koreans are defending champions and have been bolstered by players from the North. — John Pye, Fox News, "Combined Koreas basketball team to play for Asian Games gold," 30 Aug. 2018 Daniel Abt led the first half of the race, but a small mistake was all the opportunity that his teammate and defending champion Lucas di Grassi needed. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Formula E ends its season—and an era—in Brooklyn," 18 July 2018 Thidapa Suwannapura was one shot back and defending champion I.K. Kim was three strokes behind. — BostonGlobe.com, "Robert Rock takes two-shot lead at Scottish Open," 14 July 2018 After weeks of speculation and rumors, Cristiano Ronaldo actually ended his brilliant Real Madrid tenure -for real, this time- to embark on a new adventure aboard the ship of seven-time defending Serie A champions Juventus. — Juan Pimiento, chicagotribune.com, "Ronaldo's shock transfer, the World Cup semis and the best of the week in soccer," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

According to the Guardian, the music festival was a fundraiser supporting avalanche safety, a cause Trudeau has championed since the death of his brother Michel in an avalanche in 1998. — Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY, "Woman who accused Trudeau of groping issues statement," 7 July 2018 Brazil faces Mexico in the round of 16 Monday at Samara Arena, and with Germany, Argentina and Portugal already eliminated, a victory would make the five-time World Cup champions one of the top bets to take the title. — Jenna Fryer, chicagotribune.com, "Mexico seek their 'quinto partido' against under-pressure Brazil," 1 July 2018 Prince Harry will be President of @queenscomtrust, which will champion, fund and connect young leaders who are working hard to make a difference in the world. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Is Taking Over One of Queen Elizabeth's Royal Duties," 24 June 2018 Even the strongest among them, moreover, is a far cry from the bold, progressive ideas Trump championed on the campaign trail, like calling on Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate prices for prescriptions or importing drugs from other countries. — Erin Mershon, STAT, "Trump denounces ‘middlemen,’ largely spares pharma in drug pricing speech," 11 May 2018 Chobani LLC helped make yogurt one of the most fashionable foods of the past decade, championing a natural and healthy aesthetic that won over consumers. — Heather Haddon, WSJ, "Yogurt Sales Sour as Options Proliferate," 9 Apr. 2019 Just this past Friday, Meghan was named vice president of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, an organization championing Commonwealth youth leaders. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle Steps Out in a Sequined Erdem Coat During a Commonwealth Day Engagement," 11 Mar. 2019 But both are former Grand Slam champions back on the rise. — Christopher Clarey, New York Times, "A Calm Serena Williams Claims Her Spot in the Wimbledon Semifinals," 10 July 2018 Now, López Obrador, who has a long political career of championing the plight of the poor, sees himself on the precipice of a new revolution, especially if his party, the National Regeneration Movement, also captures decisive control of Congress. — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, "Mexico’s presidential frontrunner is promising a revolution. Can he deliver?," 29 June 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.