compete

verb

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com·pete | \ kəm-ˈpēt

competed; competing

Definition of compete

intransitive verb

: 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

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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 At roughly 300 ships the Navy soon won’t have the size or capability to compete with the more than 350-ship fleet China is minting. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 15 June 2021 American manufacturers had already been struggling to compete with imports from East Asia. — Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 15 June 2021 The union is concerned that UK farmers will struggle to compete with countries that have considerably larger, more productive agricultural sectors and, in some cases, lower environmental and animal welfare standards. — Hanna Ziady, CNN, 15 June 2021 With this latest move, the company hopes to expand its revenue channels and compete more directly with competitors such as Disney+. — Q.ai - Investing Reimagined, Forbes, 14 June 2021 Newcomer Jayron Kearse is likely to compete with incumbent Donovan Wilson for the starting strong safety position next to Kazee. — John Owning, Dallas News, 14 June 2021 Buried in a 2400-page bill approved last week by the U.S. Senate to help the United States compete with China is language that is drawing fire from human genome researchers. — Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | AAAS, 14 June 2021 In addition to a new virtual assistant to compete with Siri, Alexa and Hey Google, the new infotainment system will offer an optional 14-inch touch screen. — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 13 June 2021 From glittering tiaras to her famous strands of pearls to full matching sets of gems, there are few collections in the world that could hope to compete with the beautiful baubles at Her Majesty's disposal. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 10 June 2021

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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Last Updated

18 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Compete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compete. Accessed 18 Jun. 2021.

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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