competing

adjective

com·​pet·​ing kəm-ˈpē-tiŋ How to pronounce competing (audio)
: in a state of rivalry or competition (as for position, profit, or a prize)
the competing teams/athletes
researched competing companies/products
They received several competing offers/bids.
their competing claims to the territory
She had many competing demands on her time.
… money is needed for social programs, health care, the environment and myriad other competing interests.Gloria Galloway
Using themselves, and 30 other pairs of identical twins as subjects, the two set out to test competing theories …Alison Rowat

Examples of competing in a Sentence

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.
Men’s singles champion Jannik Sinner of Italy and women’s singles champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus return to defend their titles, along with American tennis stars Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and more competing. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2025 Leaders often underestimate how competing directives erode productivity, burn out top performers, and leave high-value projects under-resourced. Brent Gleeson, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025 Everybody's always looking, curious, competing and that's a really difficult thing, especially for a female actor. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025 Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent — teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring. Nick Caruso, TVLine, 29 July 2025 However, competing service providers like AT&T fiber internet often offer faster speeds, unlimited data, fewer fees and longer price guarantees for just a bit more per month. Kara McGinley, USA Today, 4 July 2025 Since launching strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran on Saturday, competing reports have emerged on how significant the damage is. Miriam Waldvogel, The Hill, 27 June 2025 Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent—teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring. Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025 Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Bloomberg During a combative House committee hearing on immigration policy Thursday, Republicans and Democrats offered competing portraits of a United States under siege. Brian Mann, NPR, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of competing was in 1660

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Cite this Entry

“Competing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competing. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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