duel

1 of 2

noun

du·​el ˈdü-əl How to pronounce duel (audio)
 also  ˈdyü-
1
: a combat between two persons
specifically : a formal combat with weapons fought between two persons in the presence of witnesses
2
: a conflict between antagonistic persons, ideas, or forces
also : a hard-fought contest between two opponents

duel

2 of 2

verb

dueled or duelled; dueling or duelling

intransitive verb

: to fight a duel

transitive verb

: to encounter (an opponent) in a duel
dueler noun
or dueller
duelist noun
or duellist

Examples of duel in a Sentence

Noun They engaged in a duel of wits. a duel for the title of captain of the team Verb He accepted the challenge to duel. Legislators dueled over the tax increases. The two runners dueled for the lead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The tit-for-tat legal duel centered on a voluntary manslaughter case that — when charges were first filed more than three years ago — represented the first time in more than a decade that a law enforcement officer in Alameda County had faced criminal prosecution in the death of a civilian. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024 The cola duel continues The two beverage giants have traded blows for decades and if Subway’s deal with Pepsi is any indication, the two companies will continue to battle for the top spot in the beverage industry. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 At too many times has he been caught out in the past and looked vulnerable when in one-on-one situations, but since his loan spell in Italy, Dalot looks a player transformed with far more confidence in the duels and awareness when defending his back post. Liam Canning, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Tellingly, the duel produces no clear victor: both fire wide of the mark. Nathan Jeffers, Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024 The Loons are implementing a high-intensity, pressing style with a higher defensive line that forces the back line to win more one-on-one duels. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2024 Saturday’s showdown at Contra Costa College was a duel between two programs with opposite reputations in NorCal. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Unlike the duels between Paul/Jamis and Feyd-Rautha/Lanville, this fight is not just two actors face to face. Christian Holub, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2024 The first women’s fencing event had been added to the Olympics a decade earlier, at the 1924 Paris Games, but at the time the sport, which is descended from duels, remained largely the domain of men. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
Those duelling briefs reflect a growing divide on reproductive rights between the parties—if not their voters. Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2024 Now facing off, now mirroring, now side by side, the men conveyed a dueling energy that was periodically amped up with tambourines. Brian Seibert, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Dealing with dueling unpaid familial responsibilities, many women are forced to take more career breaks, miss work, move to part-time, or even leave the workforce altogether. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 The dueling objectives highlight the complexities of de-risking from China, and indicate that efforts to reduce dependence on Beijing will require strategic choices and at times difficult tradeoffs. Mary Hui, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Coaches offer dueling reactions after LSU-South Carolina near-brawl The ugliness that marred the end of the SEC tournament title game Sunday afternoon called for restraint, common sense and a dose of humility from both coaches. USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 The 96th Oscars had a lot to celebrate, what with a rough year plagued by two dueling strikes, a couple of world-rocking blockbusters, and a crop of truly great films. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024 Like in House District 64, the candidates had dueling endorsements from Paxton and Abbott. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Lawmakers see path forward after Biden meeting Biden, Trump deliver dueling messages in person at southern border In: John Cornyn United States Senate Republican Party Mitch McConnell Stefan Becket Stefan Becket is managing editor, digital politics, for CBSNews.com. Stefan Becket, CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'duel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Medieval Latin duellum, from Old Latin, war

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1645, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of duel was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near duel

Cite this Entry

“Duel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duel. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

duel

1 of 2 noun
du·​el ˈd(y)ü-əl How to pronounce duel (audio)
1
: a combat between two persons
especially : one fought with weapons in the presence of witnesses
2
: a conflict between two opponents

duel

2 of 2 verb
dueled or duelled; dueling or duelling
: to fight in a duel
dueler noun
or dueller
duelist noun
or duellist
Etymology

Noun

from Latin duellum "duel," from an archaic form of earlier bellum "war"; revived in the Middle Ages to mean combat between two persons because the du- suggested Latin duo "two"

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