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a race to the bottom

competition that lowers standards

In Headline Expressions

In more detail

1. (idiom) a situation where companies or countries compete by lowering standards, prices, or conditions in ways that harm everyone involved

2. (idiom) a competitive process that produces worse results for all participants because everyone is trying to do the minimum

Examples

• 1. When clothing manufacturers moved production to countries with the lowest wages, it created a race to the bottom that hurt workers everywhere.
• 2. Reducing environmental regulations in a race to the bottom can damage the planet for everyone.

How to use a race to the bottom

This idiom describes a self-defeating competitive dynamic where participants undercut each other on quality, cost, or standards, ultimately harming everyone including the competitors themselves. It is commonly used in discussions of economics, labor, environmental policy, and business ethics. The phrase implies that the downward trajectory is harmful and undesirable, distinguishing it from simple competition or cost-cutting.

Common phrases

• a race to the bottom in prices
• a race to the bottom in wages
• a race to the bottom in regulations
• avoid a race to the bottom
• prevent a race to the bottom

Synonyms

downward spiral · a vicious circle · a negative feedback loop · mutually destructive competition

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use the phrase to describe any competition or price reduction, without the key implication that all parties end up worse off than if they had maintained higher standards.

Nearby in Headline Expressions

a level playing field, moving the needle, a game changer, double down, walk back, pass the buck

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained