as in competition
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
a healthy rivalry in sports between the two schools
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rivalry
These are the hard lessons for a 23-year-old pitcher, suffered in a rivalry game on national television.
—
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Vitriolic rivalries have blossomed between its astronomers and prominent scientific figures.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025
June 20, 2025 4:25 AM PT From Jack Harris: Seven times in the last 10 days, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres have renewed their steadily intensifying divisional rivalry.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
In the end, the Dodgers held on for an 8-6 victory in a game filled with drama for the second straight night in a rivalry in which that has become the norm.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rivalry
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Vitriolic rivalries have blossomed between its astronomers and prominent scientific figures.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025
June 20, 2025 4:25 AM PT From Jack Harris: Seven times in the last 10 days, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres have renewed their steadily intensifying divisional rivalry.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
In the end, the Dodgers held on for an 8-6 victory in a game filled with drama for the second straight night in a rivalry in which that has become the norm.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rivalry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalry
Noun
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Gregg Newton | Afp | Getty Images Amazon’s second batch of Kuiper internet satellites reached low Earth orbit on Monday, adding to its plans for a massive constellation and ramping up competition with SpaceX’s Starlink.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
23 June 2025
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Compete for Causes, the local group that pairs fitness and fundraising with its charity fitness competitions, recently made a $32,200 contribution to Father Joe’s Villages.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Consumers are putting values first — even at a time of economic struggle.—
Alexandra Pastore,
Footwear News,
17 June 2025
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So are the novels, in the end, tragedies—narratives of the private toll of service in a noble struggle?—
Rav Grewal-Kök
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Sen Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, moved to limit Trump's powers by introducing a floor resolution that would require approval from Congress before the U.S. could get involved in a military conflict with Iran.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
19 June 2025
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But some of these same nations have also had to spend significant amounts managing shark-human conflict, often trying to strike a balance between public safety and tourism dollars.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Noun
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In general, Ukrainian electronic warfare systems are able to jam approximately half of the incoming drones, especially those flying at lower altitudes.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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The United States would be, to put it mildly, naïve to believe that the accumulation of intelligence and modern warfare knowledge by North Korea, China and Iran presents no threat to the United States.—
Laura Thornton,
Twin Cities,
27 June 2025
Noun
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The escalating rhetoric signals the deepening rift between Tehran and Washington, raising fears of a broader regional confrontation that could draw in U.S. forces and further destabilize the Middle East.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
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Attorneys arguing over whether a man accused of murder should be eligible for bail revealed details of a deadly road rage confrontation three months ago at a Rocklin intersection, where a man holding a tire iron was fatally struck with a metal wrench.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Although few would consider those players franchise-altering names, their developments were promising enough to help the Lakers retool their roster to not only entice James to go West, but build around him for one last window of contention under the Buss family’s watch.—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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If either team were to lose this match, they would effectively be eliminated from contention after both failed to gain any points during their Gold Cup openers.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rivalry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalry. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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