compete

verb

com·pete | \ kəm-ˈpēt

competed; competing

Definition of compete

: to strive consciously or unconsciously for an objective (such as position, profit, or a prize) : be in a state of rivalry competing teams companies competing for customers

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about compete

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Examples of compete in a Sentence

Thousands of applicants are competing for the same job. She competed against students from around the country. We are competing with companies that are twice our size. Did you compete in the track meet on Saturday? The radio and the television were both on, competing for our attention.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even Atomic Heart can't compete for this week's weirdest story, though. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Pillars of Eternity II gets a turn-based mode, Farming Simulator bets big on esports," 25 Jan. 2019 And Williams will also be competing in the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament which starts on January 14. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "Venus Williams on Balancing Design and Tennis," 15 Jan. 2019 The companies are also under intensifying pressure to speed delivery times of online orders to compete with Amazon and please customers who expect fast delivery. — Christopher Rugaber, The Seattle Times, "U.S. retailers hope higher pay will buy more efficient workers," 1 Jan. 2019 Facebook Facebook’s leap into the smart speaker category was clearly an attempt to compete with Google and Amazon. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "A breakdown of this year’s brand winners and losers.," 27 Dec. 2018 The move was yet another aggressive push from Epic to truly compete with Valve and its Steam store. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "The year in Fortnite," 18 Dec. 2018 In the simulations, artificial life-forms compete for limited resources. — Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, "How Quantum Mechanics Lets Us See, Smell and Touch," 24 Oct. 2018 But cars started shrinking in the 1980s, and engine bays got smaller as crumple zones and underhood electronics competed with engines for space. — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, "Straight From the Grave: An Iconic Engine Design Makes a Comeback," 21 Aug. 2018 After trying out for the U.S. under-16 national team last year, St. Frances’ Angel Reese felt much more confident in her ability to compete for a spot on the U17 team this summer. — Katherine Dunn, baltimoresun.com, "After missing cut for U.S. team, St. Frances star Angel Reese plans more hoops, closer look at big offers," 14 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compete.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for compete

Last Updated

12 Feb 2019

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Time Traveler for compete

The first known use of compete was in 1620

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More Definitions for compete

compete

verb

English Language Learners Definition of compete

: to try to get or win something (such as a prize or reward) that someone else is also trying to win : to try to be better or more successful than someone or something else

: to try to be noticed, accepted, or chosen over something else

See the full definition for compete in the English Language Learners Dictionary

compete

verb

com·pete | \ kəm-ˈpēt

competed; competing