competed; competing
: 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
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
The oldest American woman to compete in the women’s singles event in nearly a century now sits in a distant 13th place ahead of the 4-minute free skate on Thursday night.
—
Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Ayton competes internationally for the Bahamas, last playing for the national team during the 2024 Olympic qualifying process.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
While both are hoping to get their hands on a medal, Smith is just relishing the chance of competing at his very first Olympics after recovering from several serious injuries in recent seasons.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Encourage that secondary stem to become the new leader by reducing by half the size of nearby upward-facing side branches that would otherwise compete with the new leader.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compete
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.
Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Ayton competes internationally for the Bahamas, last playing for the national team during the 2024 Olympic qualifying process.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
While both are hoping to get their hands on a medal, Smith is just relishing the chance of competing at his very first Olympics after recovering from several serious injuries in recent seasons.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Encourage that secondary stem to become the new leader by reducing by half the size of nearby upward-facing side branches that would otherwise compete with the new leader.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compete
Cite this Entry
“Compete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compete. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
