as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the playful competition over who would get the new office turned into a real dogfight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dogfight
Despite looking like a fighter pilot who could win a game of dogfight football, Colin isn’t framed as a temptation for Marissa, and a lack of sexy secrets proves to be a recurring blind spot for the series, even if those two have plenty of other skeletons in their massive, boring closets.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
If the same thing happens against West Virginia, the Horned Frogs will be in a dogfight in the second half.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
By the end of the first half, Boise State had outgained New Mexico 187 yards to 62 and allowed only four first downs, but was in a dogfight.
—Idaho Statesman, 12 Oct. 2025
That cost them a chance to truly challenge the Phillies in the division and thrust them into a dogfight for the NL’s last wild-card spot.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
If the same thing happens against West Virginia, the Horned Frogs will be in a dogfight in the second half.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
By the end of the first half, Boise State had outgained New Mexico 187 yards to 62 and allowed only four first downs, but was in a dogfight.
—Idaho Statesman, 12 Oct. 2025
That cost them a chance to truly challenge the Phillies in the division and thrust them into a dogfight for the NL’s last wild-card spot.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfight
Noun
-
Cal was led by a pair of players who were new to the rivalry.—
Harold Gutmann,
Mercury News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The lawsuit is the latest chapter in the long rivalry between Hill and Rose.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In a city where detentions have largely played out on the streets, Homan’s comments have highlighted a battle that has been unfolding in the background.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The exercise of power, not surprisingly, contributed to the restlessness of a busy mind that waged battles against a committed opposition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nothing but bleeps ahead of Sunday's divisional duel with the Los Angeles Rams.—
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The predictive duel for Best Picture The Globes are regarded by some as a frivolous event in which celebrities care less about the awards and more about the drinks at their tables.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Microsoft is a large investor in OpenAI, but there’s growing competition in the AI space, especially from Google’s Gemini.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Uhlaender, a five-time Olympian, was hoping to qualify for her sixth Winter Games, but lost the chance before competition even began in Lake Placid due to Canada's withdrawals.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hyland, who’d been a revelation prior to his recent struggles, regained form in the win.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Unlearn that struggle equals success.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Do not be afraid of the language of class warfare — the rich versus the poor, the oligarchs versus the citizens, the capitalists versus the proletariat.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Iranians want to put an end to this warfare.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That helped end the war faster.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
As the war grinds through another bitterly cold winter, Russian strikes hit an apartment block Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Frey said an incident Friday night that led to property damage at an area hotel and confrontation with police officers was an outlier to the largely peaceful events in recent days.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Ross argued that allowing local police to provide basic crowd control — rather than restricting coordination — could have reduced risks during recent confrontations.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfight. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
