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 & Antonyms 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

The format’s 16-year run featured blowouts and nail-biting finishes in almost equal measure, but every champion had some singular performance that helped make the difference. — Ben Ladner, SI.com, "The 10 Best National Championship Game Performances of the BCS Era," 13 July 2018 Now, a season after becoming a World Series champion, Maybin is back in Miami, playing without pressure and doing exactly what the Marlins expected of him. — Mike Persak, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Cameron Maybin helping Marlins young players deal with the pressures of expectations," 12 July 2018 EUROPE WINS France or Croatia will become the fourth different European country to become world champion in a streak started when Italy beat the French in the 2006 final. — Graham Dunbar, chicagotribune.com, "Mbappe's France face Croatia's Modric for the World Cup title," 14 July 2018 Because the regime that claims to champion Palestine has become the enemy of the people. — Eliora Katz, WSJ, "Iranians Are Now Chanting ‘Death to Palestine’," 13 July 2018 Smut peddlers had always stumbled into fights over obscenity, but Flynt became an accidental champion of the First Amendment by carrying a fight over his Hustler magazine to the U.S. Supreme Court. — Cincinnati Enquirer, "Read more from this Project," 13 July 2018 Along the way, 4S Ranch (4-2) beat Escondido American 18-4, Poway American 13-3 and Encinitas 7-0 before losing to eventual champion Rancho Santa Fe 11-5 and beating Del Mar American 6-5 to earn a berth in the finals. — Terry Monahan, Pomerado News, "Poway comes close to Little League district title," 12 July 2018 More than that, though, Pelinka talked about creating a team that could beat the two-time defending-champion Golden State Warriors without trying to mimic them. — Tania Ganguli, latimes.com, "Rob Pelinka says Lakers' work is far from done after landing LeBron James," 12 July 2018 The Astor Cup is a symbol of sustained success, awarded annually to IndyCar’s series champion. — Chapel Fowler, charlotteobserver, "In 2008, Will Power didn’t have a ride. He’s now the first N.C.-based Indy 500 winner.," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The state Board of Pardons and Paroles began hearing cases affected by Public Act 15-84, the sentencing reform legislation championed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in June 2016. — Matthew Ormseth, courant.com, "Paroled After Two Decades In Prison, James Jeter Will Attend Trinity College This Fall," 8 July 2018 The Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star is quick to praise his longtime love, championing her and all moms in a sweet Mother’s Day tribute just last month. — Karen Mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, "Dwayne Johnson Credits His Dad for Showing Him What It Means to Be a Man and 'More Importantly a Father'," 17 June 2018 Trump commutes sentence of woman championed by Kim Kardashian West | Who is Alice Marie Johnson? — Fox News, "FOX NEWS FIRST: Comey's new scrutiny; Mystery illness afflicts Americans in China; Rudy: Kim 'begged' for summit," 7 June 2018 Lukas has trained four Derby winners and five Preakness champions himself. — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "Justify is the early favorite in the Preakness, but he's also far from a sure thing," 12 May 2018 Then-Houston Mayor Bill White championed it as a useful method to address growing congestion. — Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, "Metro approves joining free tow program," 22 Mar. 2018 Sanders, who may run again in 2020, has championed a big government agenda, including Medicare for all and free college. — Deirdre Shesgreen, USA TODAY, "Moderate Democrats push back against "wild-eyed" leftward lurch of the party," 12 July 2018 Along with Kate and Prince Harry, William has championed breaking the stigma of mental health awareness in recent years. — Erin Hill, PEOPLE.com, "This Is Why We Haven’t Seen Prince William and Kate Middleton at Royal Ascot This Week," 21 June 2018 Christian groups in the US had also long championed the cause of the South Sudanese, framing their struggle against the Muslim government in the north as a fundamental struggle against the Muslim oppression of Christians. — Jennifer Williams, Vox, "South Sudan’s civil war has raged for 5 years. Now the leaders of the two sides are meeting.," 20 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.