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

There have also been two new national champions chosen. — Chris Chase, BostonGlobe.com, "Chess notes," 14 July 2018 The 2006 Rose Bowl featured all three Heisman finalists, the defending national champion and what were definitively the two best teams in college football. — Ben Ladner, SI.com, "The 10 Best National Championship Game Performances of the BCS Era," 13 July 2018 How Louisville can lose to Clemson Louisville played three Clemson teams, including one national champion, close in its first three seasons in the ACC. — Jake Lourim, The Courier-Journal, "Here's how Louisville football could actually beat Clemson in 2018," 10 July 2018 My alma mater, City College of New York, was a national champion. — Gerald Eskenazi, WSJ, "I’m Sick of World Cup Fever," 9 July 2018 Jordan was a two-time national champion at the University of Wisconsin in the mid-1980s. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wrestling coaches with Wisconsin ties are embroiled in Ohio State scandal, including powerful House member Jim Jordan," 9 July 2018 By the 1940s, swim star Esther Williams was on screens and posters in two-piece suits that showed a swath of above-the-button belly and the abs that had made her a national champion in the 100-meter freestyle. — Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, "A scandalous, two-piece history of the bikini," 6 July 2018 The 6-foot-4, 216-pound senior-to-be chose the defending national champion over Florida and Penn State. — Will Larkin, chicagotribune.com, "Phillips TE Jahleel Billingsley becomes first local player to commit to Alabama in at least 20 years," 6 July 2018 Michael Byrne was the closer for 2017 national champion Florida, which was eliminated at the College World Series this season. — Ray Glier, USA TODAY, "Ups and downs of minor league bullpens," 5 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The former city council president was among the first to champion a baseball stadium north of downtown. — Matthew Ormseth, courant.com, "As Treasurer's Race Heats Up, Dunkin' Donuts Park Becomes Flashpoint," 13 July 2018 Developers are expected to champion the idea since the would save thousands of dollars by building without parking spaces. — Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Is parking going to get more difficult in OTR?," 11 July 2018 The artist Robert Rauschenberg, a central figure in the fight for the statute’s implementation in the 1970s, often referenced his own experiences to champion the law. — Amanda Svachula, New York Times, "California Tried to Give Artists a Cut. But the Judges Said No.," 11 July 2018 Mayor Krewson committed to champion a 25-year Racial Equity Fund to support efforts including policy change and community engagement. — Charli Cooksey, Teen Vogue, "How to Have Uncomfortable Conversations," 10 July 2018 Harriet Tubman Day, is an annual event hosted by the Harriet Tubman Foundation, a group that has been championing to preserve the school’s local legacy since 2002. — Jess Nocera, Howard County Times, "Harriet Tubman High School museum project shifts into higher gear," 3 July 2018 Trump said in a speech in Wisconsin designed to champion his economic policies. — Amber Phillips, Washington Post, "‘Don’t get cute’: Trump is really sore about Harley-Davidson’s perceived lack of loyalty to him," 28 June 2018 Francis, who has used his papacy to champion the causes peace and justice, has often suggested that Christians can work closely together on humanitarian projects. — Fox News, "Pope, in Geneva, says Christians can work together on peace," 22 June 2018 Following six years at the Examiner, McCulloch retired in 1991, but continued to champion the First Amendment. — Steve Rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, "Longtime journalist Frank McCulloch, former Examiner managing editor, dies at 98," 15 May 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.