A “race to the bottom” describes competitive pressure that pushes participants toward ever-lower costs or standards. The guide keeps current meaning separate from unsupported origin claims.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionPhrases & Idioms
Quick answer
A “race to the bottom” describes competitive pressure that pushes participants toward ever-lower costs or standards.
Key details
Canonical Formrace to the bottom
Core Meaninga situation in which competitors reduce costs or standards in ways that can worsen pay, conditions, quality, or safeguards
Further guidance
History Boundary
Current dictionary-supported meaning is published without claiming an exact inventor, coinage date, or absolute first use.
Meaning
a situation in which competitors reduce costs or standards in ways that can worsen pay, conditions, quality, or safeguards
Usage Boundary
The phrase implies a harmful competitive dynamic; do not use it merely because prices or costs fall.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
A “bull market” is a period in which share prices or financial investments are generally rising. The term describes a broad market condition; do not use it for a single asset rising briefly or claim a universal numeric threshold from this dictionary definition.
A “buyer’s market” is a market where supply exceeds buyer demand, typically giving buyers more bargaining power and keeping prices lower. It can apply in housing and other markets; the phrase describes the balance between supply and demand rather than guaranteeing a particular price outcome.
An “economic moat” is a durable competitive advantage that helps protect a company from rivals over an extended period. Morningstar also uses formal moat ratings with its own methodology; do not treat every casual claim that a business has a moat as equivalent to a specific Morningstar rating.
In corporate finance, a “poison pill” is a defensive measure a company uses to make a hostile takeover less attractive or harder to complete. The guide treats it as a specialized current business term rather than inventing an origin story.
A “price war” is aggressive price competition in which rivals repeatedly lower prices. The guide keeps current meaning separate from unsupported origin claims.
A “seller’s market” is a market where demand exceeds available supply, typically allowing sellers to charge more or sell more easily. The phrase describes an imbalance favoring sellers; it does not guarantee that every seller or item will achieve a higher price.
“Bottom line” can mean the final profit-or-loss result in accounts or, figuratively, the most important fact or final result. The guide stays with current documented meaning and does not add unsupported origin chronology.
“A dime a dozen” is a chiefly US idiom for something very common, easy to find, and not especially distinctive. The wording can carry a dismissive tone when it suggests that something is readily replaceable.
