win

Universal Words verb, noun verb (winning, won, won ) 1 to be the most successful in a competition, race, battle, etc: [V] to win at cards / chess * Which team won? * France won by six goals to two against Denmark. * [VN] to win an election / a game / a war * She loves to win an argument. 2 ~ sth (from sb) to get sth as the result of a competition, race, election, etc: [VN] Britain won five gold medals. * He won ｣3000 in the lottery. * How many states did the Republicans win? * The Conservatives won the seat from Labour in the last election. * [VNN] You've won yourself a trip to New York. 3 [VN] to achieve or get sth that you want, especially by your own efforts: They are trying to win support for their proposals. * The company has won a contract to supply books and materials to schools. * She won the admiration of many people in her battle against cancer. seealsoWINNER, WINNING IDIOMS you, he, etc. can't win (spoken) used to say that there is no satisfactory way of dealing with a particular situation: I can't win. If I agree with her, she says I have no mind of my own; if I don't, she says I'm being difficult. you can't win them all