as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
a duel for the title of captain of the team
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of duel
Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Al Hilal, which matched up against Real Madrid for the first time since losing to them, 5-3, in the 2023 Club World Cup Final, dueled for nearly 90 minutes to the one goal apiece stalemate before nearly seeing its efforts go to waste.
—Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Pitchers Danny Wallace and Ryan Papa combined to allow just one run on six hits in the duel with Wunsch.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for duel
Noun
Her parents had dueling ambitions for their daughter.
—Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Al Hilal, which matched up against Real Madrid for the first time since losing to them, 5-3, in the 2023 Club World Cup Final, dueled for nearly 90 minutes to the one goal apiece stalemate before nearly seeing its efforts go to waste.
—Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025
Verb
Here, Koulibaly chips the ball towards Lodi… … and Alexander-Arnold is in position to contest the aerial duel.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Pitchers Danny Wallace and Ryan Papa combined to allow just one run on six hits in the duel with Wunsch.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for duel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duel
Noun
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McIntyre believes their rivalry was proof that personal tension can enhance storytelling.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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The Wolf Pack have fallen behind in the Mountain West in recent years, and are staying in the conference while others head to the Pac-12, so that rivalry flame is dying.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at rolling back DEI initiatives, with one of them including directives for federal agencies to combat DEI in the private sector.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
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Antioxidants can help combat free radicals, unstable molecules that damage the body’s cells and can lead to cancer.2 Small amounts of fluoride, folate, vitamin A, vitamin K, and beta-carotene can be found in raw tomatoes.—
Andrea Michelson,
Verywell Health,
30 June 2025
Noun
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That same month, Adams withdrew his candidacy for the Democratic primary, saying the legal battle had prevented him from effectively campaigning.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
25 June 2025
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While the legal battle is ongoing, the judge's ruling is an early win for the states and a setback for the Trump administration.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Reggie Greer, who served as a senior advisor on LGBTQI+ Persons at the State Department in the Biden administration, remembers being in North Carolina during the 2016 bathroom bill fight.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
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Tyrrell Herndon The 39-year-old Wilder has not fought since June 1, 2024, when Zhilei Zhang stopped him via TKO in the fifth round of a matchup at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Even the quiet, eyebrow-raising final moments, which suggest that the struggle for economic justice and equality might be utterly pointless, feel less like a philosophy and more like a real-life capitalist desire for more, more, more.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda's struggles continue as he gets eliminated once again during Q1 at the Austrian Grand Prix.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Abrego Garcia denies being a member of the gang and contends the charges don’t justify holding him in jail.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
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After winning six of their final seven games to close out 2024, the Horned Frogs are expecting to contend for a Big 12 title and a college football playoff berth, but TCU’s schedule is brutal.—
Steven Johnson
July 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Their manager, Sarina Wiegman, has an extraordinary record in this competition, having won it with both the Netherlands and England.—
Darren Richman,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
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In Squid Game, Lee portrays Gyeong-seok (Player 246), a devoted father who joins the brutal competition to protect his family at all costs.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Video of the meeting showed the confrontation began during a confusing moment in the session.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2025
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Reactive dogs deserve patience and distance, not judgment or confrontation.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Duel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duel. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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