long odds

noun

: a poor chance of winning
The team has made some major improvements, but they still face long odds.

Examples of long odds in a Sentence

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Harris, a retired general, faces long odds in the heavily Republican district but Democrats tout strong special election performance. Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026 Because of the long odds against Sarah living. Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026 Against long odds, the Mavericks won the NBA Draft lottery and selected Cooper Flagg in June with the top overall pick. Eric Prisbell, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026 To chase long odds like that has low-key disaster potential. Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for long odds

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“Long odds.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20odds. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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