as in competitive
having or marked by a strong desire to win or be better than others
The competing salespeople were all trying to lure the same customers.
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Dissimilar Words
as in contending
to engage in a contest
prizefighters competing for the world heavyweight championship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of competing
Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Establishing an entirely new and competing agency is merely the pursuit of a bureaucratic gravy train, and providing it with incentives to abuse power in order to boost its own coffers is an invitation to tyranny.
—Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
No more competing Monday night windows.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Truth is a public good Politics is not a seminar in absolute clarity, and competing claims are always part of the process.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2026
Like the Joker, O’Leary tends to give competing origin stories for his nickname.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
In comparison, Paramount Skydance, with its hostile and competing bid for WBD, saw its stock rise just over 29 percent so far in 2025 after closing at $13.50 on Dec. 29.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Colorado River Compact figures no longer add up As always, the crux of this fight goes back to the Colorado River Compact and competing theories about how its flawed predictions of available water should be overcome.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Men’s singles champion Jannik Sinner of Italy and women’s singles champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus return to defend their titles, along with American tennis stars Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and more competing.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2025
Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
As part of our Language of Soccer World Cup series, The Athletic is speaking to supporters of all 48 nations competing at the 2026 edition to capture their unique football culture, distilled into a single phrase.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Today, American players are starring for some of Europe's biggest clubs, competing in the Champions League and exploring opportunities that would have been unimaginable during Donovan's playing days.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
The fastest ways to lose that hotel feel include overusing plug-ins, which read as synthetic, and mixing too many competing fragrances at once.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Mixing too many competing scents in the same area also muddles the experience, and strong essential oils like peppermint or cinnamon can quickly overload a space.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
Dlott has not yet ruled on the competing motions, a survey of available court records indicated.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 10 June 2026
In his letter to Jordan, Ullyot said 87% of the league's games will be available over the air this season, and that every game in the competing teams' home markets is on broadcast television.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
In 2026, these competing narratives are at war with each other once again.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Adjective
From the non-competing tier, there’s a few teams who absolutely spent in the 2026 draft, no shade here.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Establishing an entirely new and competing agency is merely the pursuit of a bureaucratic gravy train, and providing it with incentives to abuse power in order to boost its own coffers is an invitation to tyranny.
—Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
No more competing Monday night windows.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Truth is a public good Politics is not a seminar in absolute clarity, and competing claims are always part of the process.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2026
Like the Joker, O’Leary tends to give competing origin stories for his nickname.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
In comparison, Paramount Skydance, with its hostile and competing bid for WBD, saw its stock rise just over 29 percent so far in 2025 after closing at $13.50 on Dec. 29.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Colorado River Compact figures no longer add up As always, the crux of this fight goes back to the Colorado River Compact and competing theories about how its flawed predictions of available water should be overcome.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Men’s singles champion Jannik Sinner of Italy and women’s singles champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus return to defend their titles, along with American tennis stars Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and more competing.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
El Tri will have an edge competing at high altitude and with the support of home fans, but Mexico is winless in World Cup openers.
—Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
As part of our Language of Soccer World Cup series, The Athletic is speaking to supporters of all 48 nations competing at the 2026 edition to capture their unique football culture, distilled into a single phrase.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Today, American players are starring for some of Europe's biggest clubs, competing in the Champions League and exploring opportunities that would have been unimaginable during Donovan's playing days.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
The fastest ways to lose that hotel feel include overusing plug-ins, which read as synthetic, and mixing too many competing fragrances at once.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Mixing too many competing scents in the same area also muddles the experience, and strong essential oils like peppermint or cinnamon can quickly overload a space.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
Dlott has not yet ruled on the competing motions, a survey of available court records indicated.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 10 June 2026
In his letter to Jordan, Ullyot said 87% of the league's games will be available over the air this season, and that every game in the competing teams' home markets is on broadcast television.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
In 2026, these competing narratives are at war with each other once again.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competing
Adjective
-
When asked directly by The Tennessean, Johnson did not respond on whether the administration will commit to a competitive bid, or if a vendor may already be selected behind the scenes.—
Vivian Jones,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
-
These providers have made a name for themselves by delivering dependable service and competitive rates.—
Kara McGinley,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The Dodgers and Padres are both contending for the National League West, while the Red Sox and Yankees are battling for wild card positioning in the American League.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Either way, the Browns will likely be contending for a top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Those ticket sales were above estimates of $35 million, though below the $50 million that rival studios argue a film of this scale should earn in its debut to justify its price tag.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
14 June 2026
-
Russell was overtaken by his Mercedes teammate and rival Kimi Antonelli in the late stages of the competition, after having battled for much of the race.—
Sahil Kapur,
NBC news,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Feehan kept fighting as Mordas capped his Shamrocks career with a touchdown pass to Kaden Baltazar on the final play of the game.—
Matt Roy,
Boston Herald,
7 Dec. 2025
-
The story is about a ski area that wants to expand and the locals who are fighting change.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
6 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
New Jersey, ranking third, also has strict driving laws and the third-most driving schools per capita.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Keep going For the rest of the time, the 911 GTS evoked far more driving pleasure.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Wrobleski was already racing toward first base.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
From pirate treasure hunts that send kids racing around the resort with maps and clues to a sandcastle concierge stocked with shovels, pails, and tools for building elaborate beach creations, the property makes family vacations feel surprisingly stress-free.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
As manufacturing enters the AI era, engineering teams are constantly hustling to deliver complex systems faster at scale ever than before.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Dec. 2025
-
But Marty is convinced that table tennis is his life’s calling, hustling for a chance to prove it over the course of 149 incredibly stressful, undeniably exhilarating minutes.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
More than 1,230 firefighters supported by 10 helicopters are battling the California blaze, which began Thursday in a remote area following a week of extreme heat.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
-
At the time, Lucci said, Jett was very ill, battling pancreatic cancer.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Competing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competing. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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