underperform
verb
un·der·per·form
ˌən-dər-pər-ˈfȯrm 
-pə-ˈfȯrm
underperformed; underperforming; underperforms
: to do worse than
… it believes the company will underperform other relatives covered by the firm …—
Jim Milliot
Jim Milliot
: to fail to do as well as expected
The stocks underperformed.
underperformer
noun
Examples of underperform in a Sentence
The report shows which schools are underperforming.
Recent Examples on the Web
At Disney, Zhao previously directed another genre project based on famous IP, Marvel’s Eternals, which underperformed both with critics and in the boxoffice.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
Interim head coach Michael Carrick has brought clarity and confidence to a group that was underperforming under Ruben Amorim.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
In January, federal prosecutors accused 39 college-basketball players across 17 Division I teams of taking bribes from gamblers to underperform.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The country that lays colloquial claim to the pastime has historically underperformed, quite clearly because other nations were simply trying harder in the form of better players agreeing to participate.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underperform
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Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
Interim head coach Michael Carrick has brought clarity and confidence to a group that was underperforming under Ruben Amorim.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
In January, federal prosecutors accused 39 college-basketball players across 17 Division I teams of taking bribes from gamblers to underperform.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The country that lays colloquial claim to the pastime has historically underperformed, quite clearly because other nations were simply trying harder in the form of better players agreeing to participate.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underperform
Cite this Entry
“Underperform.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underperform. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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