archrival

noun

arch·​ri·​val (ˌ)ärch-ˈrī-vəl How to pronounce archrival (audio)
: a principal rival

Examples of archrival in a Sentence

In baseball, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are archrivals.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As the clock wound down on the 1949 Iron Bowl, with Auburn clinging to a 1-point lead over archrival Alabama at neutral-site Legion Field, the Tigers’ star quarterback Travis Tidwell lined up hoping to rattle the Crimson Tide’s kicker on an extra-point attempt. Sofia Chierchio, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 The Barstool Sports founder takes regular shots at the Buckeyes, especially after his Wolverines have enjoyed four straight wins over their archrivals on the football field. Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025 In effect, Israel has held the PLO and its subsidiaries—the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the Fatah political party—responsible for the actions of all Palestinians, including the PLO’s extremist archrival, Hamas. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025 In recent years, after a torrid run that included Target making massive market share gains during the pandemic, the retailer has stagnated even as archrival Walmart has soared. Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for archrival

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of archrival was in 1750

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Cite this Entry

“Archrival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archrival. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

archrival

noun
arch·​ri·​val (ˌ)ärch-ˈrī-vəl How to pronounce archrival (audio)
: a principal rival

More from Merriam-Webster on archrival

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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