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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Rose is the rarest of all sports heroes: a prospect who, against long odds, grew to become the youngest MVP in NBA history for his hometown team. —

Darnell Mayberry, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025 Carter campaigns in Reagan country Carter faced long odds in 1980. Democrats were split (the Carter-Kennedy race went to the convention), Iran held American hostages and the economy was sputtering. —

Bill Glauber, Journal Sentinel, 29 Dec. 2024 This is partly a measure of their deep frustration with the status quo, and may also reflect the national habit of bravely shrugging off long odds. —

Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024 In the other three states, the women running faced long odds — each was a Democrat in a race that the Republican candidate won comfortably. —

Meredith Conroy, ABC News, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for long odds