con·test
kən-ˈtest 
ˈkän-ˌtest
ˈkän-ˌtest
contested; contesting; contests
: to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation
contester
noun
con·test
ˈkän-ˌtest
1
: a struggle for superiority or victory : competition
a football contest between rival teams
2
: a competition in which each contestant performs without direct contact with or interference from competitors
He won the contest for best photograph.
Synonyms
Examples of contest in a Sentence
Verb
She plans to contest a seat in Congress next year.
Both candidates have agreed to another debate before this hotly contested election.
Noun
Contest winners receive a cash prize.
Will you enter the contest?
She hopes to win the contest for mayor.
Democrats and Republicans are engaged in a contest for control of the House of Representatives.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Brady, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Credit for the origins of the BL genre is contested between Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
In Milwaukee, there are also contested races for comptroller — the city's chief financial officer — and eight Common Council seats.
—Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2024
The case contests decisions by the Food and Drug Administration to make the drug mifepristone available by mail and via telemedicine.
—Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Impella heart pumps were first cleared for use in 2008, and their use was contested among cardiologists even before the recent spate of problematic reports.
—Christina Jewett, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The average age of Spalletti’s 28-man squad for the US was 25, compared with 27.3 at Euro 2020, and just five players have contested more than 30 international games.
—David Ferrini, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Not to contest the general point that government workers are more highly compensated, but rather to assert that CTUP’s 40 percent number is too high.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 27 Mar. 2024
The arrest comes just weeks ahead of India’s general election, which AAP will contest as a partner in an alliance formed by 26 opposition political parties.
—Sania Farooqui, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
The Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers also offer a contest for a chance for one diner to win two complimentary tickets to each dinner of the series.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
In their first contest, Jackson had tallied the most votes, but four candidates split the electoral college.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The tour moved to the Central Valley for a three-game stretch, including a night game in Stockton and a morning contest in Marysville.
—Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
The Rangers went on to win 4-3 after Chris Kreider scored a power play goal late on in the fiery contest.
—Jacob Lev, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The activist investor Nelson Peltz and Ike Perlmutter, the former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, have failed to infiltrate Disney’s board for the second time in two years, losing a tensely fought contest for support of the company’s shareholders as part of a campaign to alter its direction.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
But of those, roughly 1.7 million blew off the presidential contests — 22% of the voters.
—George Skelton, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Despite prevailing in the proxy contest, Disney must reckon with simmering discontent among its shareholder base.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Verb
Animal protection groups, however, have long contested the financial benefits for communities and conservation.
—Kate Brady, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Credit for the origins of the BL genre is contested between Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
In Milwaukee, there are also contested races for comptroller — the city's chief financial officer — and eight Common Council seats.
—Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2024
The case contests decisions by the Food and Drug Administration to make the drug mifepristone available by mail and via telemedicine.
—Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Impella heart pumps were first cleared for use in 2008, and their use was contested among cardiologists even before the recent spate of problematic reports.
—Christina Jewett, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The average age of Spalletti’s 28-man squad for the US was 25, compared with 27.3 at Euro 2020, and just five players have contested more than 30 international games.
—David Ferrini, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Not to contest the general point that government workers are more highly compensated, but rather to assert that CTUP’s 40 percent number is too high.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 27 Mar. 2024
The arrest comes just weeks ahead of India’s general election, which AAP will contest as a partner in an alliance formed by 26 opposition political parties.
—Sania Farooqui, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
First dunk at the State Farm College Slam Dunk contest by Arizona’s Keshad Johnson gets 52 points.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
The Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers also offer a contest for a chance for one diner to win two complimentary tickets to each dinner of the series.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
In their first contest, Jackson had tallied the most votes, but four candidates split the electoral college.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The tour moved to the Central Valley for a three-game stretch, including a night game in Stockton and a morning contest in Marysville.
—Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
The Rangers went on to win 4-3 after Chris Kreider scored a power play goal late on in the fiery contest.
—Jacob Lev, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The activist investor Nelson Peltz and Ike Perlmutter, the former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, have failed to infiltrate Disney’s board for the second time in two years, losing a tensely fought contest for support of the company’s shareholders as part of a campaign to alter its direction.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
But of those, roughly 1.7 million blew off the presidential contests — 22% of the voters.
—George Skelton, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Despite prevailing in the proxy contest, Disney must reckon with simmering discontent among its shareholder base.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near contest
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contest. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contest
1 of 2 verb
con·test
kən-ˈtest
ˈkän-ˌtest
ˈkän-ˌtest
: to make (something) a cause of dispute or fighting
contest a claim
contest
2 of 2 noun
con·test
ˈkän-ˌtest
: a struggle for victory : competition
Legal Definition
contest
1 of 2 transitive verb
con·test
kən-ˈtest
: to dispute or challenge through legal procedures
contest a will
contest
2 of 2 noun
con·test
ˈkän-ˌtest
: a challenge brought through formal or legal procedures
boundary controversies or other contests between states—Felix Frankfurter
Felix Frankfurter
specifically
: will contest see also no contest clause
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