as in competitive
having or marked by a strong desire to win or be better than others
The competing salespeople were all trying to lure the same customers.
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Dissimilar Words
as in contending
to engage in a contest
prizefighters competing for the world heavyweight championship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of competing
Rebecca Hanson, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Pope Leo’s emphasis on respect and dialogue suggests a desire to move beyond polarization, but competing interpretations of both doctrine and pastoral practice continue to divide American Catholics.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Even making a slightly lower offer may be more viable when sellers know there are fewer competing bids.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2025
The Department intends to stop funding both 2025 new awards and non-competing continuations for these seven grant programs.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Adversaries appear as competing bids, regulatory hurdles or stakeholders with diverging agendas.
—Jessica Billingsley, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
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
With pickup truck prices ever increasing—the F-150 starts at nearly $40,000—and competitors like Slate Auto offering simpler competing vehicles for lower prices, that’s meaningful.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 12 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
David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Cherelus, Martin-Scott, Njongmeta and Windmon will all be competing for depth jobs.
—Mike Kaye
march 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
There must be a balance between competing points of view so that none are excluded during deliberations; a balance between short-term detours and long-term goals.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
As a result, the franchise is caught between the competing impulses to preserve its legacy as a romantic ideal and to modernize itself for an audience that no longer believes in that mirage — resulting, most recently, in a casting that was doomed to fail on all fronts.
—Shamira Ibrahim, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
The media landscape and voter engagement have fundamentally shifted since 1998, with Californians less tuned into the gubernatorial race than in previous generations due to competing national and international distractions.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The startup is competing with others, including Boston Dynamics and Elon Musk’s Tesla, as well as a number of companies in China, in building robots that look human-like and do some of the things that people do.
—Darlene Superville, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
And the people will decide which of three restaurants — Extra Butter Miami competing as People’s Outlaw BBQ, Rosie’s competing as Black Pit BBQ, and McKay’s Catering competing as Queen of the Kitchen — will operate inside the historic restaurant.
—Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Even as captain Anže Kopitar surpassed Marcel Dionne as the all-time leading point-producer in franchise history – Kopitar took 1,505 games to break a record Dionne set in 921, albeit in a higher-scoring era – the focus was on competing down the stretch.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Rodríguez represents just one of multiple and competing interests within a Venezuela elite composed of a precarious civil-military alliance officially committed to a leftist populist ideology called Chavismo.
—Rebecca Hanson, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Pope Leo’s emphasis on respect and dialogue suggests a desire to move beyond polarization, but competing interpretations of both doctrine and pastoral practice continue to divide American Catholics.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Even making a slightly lower offer may be more viable when sellers know there are fewer competing bids.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2025
The Department intends to stop funding both 2025 new awards and non-competing continuations for these seven grant programs.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Adversaries appear as competing bids, regulatory hurdles or stakeholders with diverging agendas.
—Jessica Billingsley, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
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
With pickup truck prices ever increasing—the F-150 starts at nearly $40,000—and competitors like Slate Auto offering simpler competing vehicles for lower prices, that’s meaningful.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 12 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
Verb
Republicans have attempted to drive a similar wedge over transgender politics, holding a vote last weekend on whether to restrict biological males from competing in women’s sports, but Democrats managed to stay united in opposing the legislation in a 49-41 vote.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Cherelus, Martin-Scott, Njongmeta and Windmon will all be competing for depth jobs.
—Mike Kaye
march 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
There must be a balance between competing points of view so that none are excluded during deliberations; a balance between short-term detours and long-term goals.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
As a result, the franchise is caught between the competing impulses to preserve its legacy as a romantic ideal and to modernize itself for an audience that no longer believes in that mirage — resulting, most recently, in a casting that was doomed to fail on all fronts.
—Shamira Ibrahim, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
The media landscape and voter engagement have fundamentally shifted since 1998, with Californians less tuned into the gubernatorial race than in previous generations due to competing national and international distractions.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The startup is competing with others, including Boston Dynamics and Elon Musk’s Tesla, as well as a number of companies in China, in building robots that look human-like and do some of the things that people do.
—Darlene Superville, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
And the people will decide which of three restaurants — Extra Butter Miami competing as People’s Outlaw BBQ, Rosie’s competing as Black Pit BBQ, and McKay’s Catering competing as Queen of the Kitchen — will operate inside the historic restaurant.
—Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Even as captain Anže Kopitar surpassed Marcel Dionne as the all-time leading point-producer in franchise history – Kopitar took 1,505 games to break a record Dionne set in 921, albeit in a higher-scoring era – the focus was on competing down the stretch.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competing
Adjective
-
The application process is competitive.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In a highly competitive environment, if Series Mania 2026 was anything to go by, a significant number of Europe’s top companies are driving into originality in order to score precious series orders.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many of his peers and former rivals have long since retired, burned out by the task of recruiting and coaching while also raising funds from boosters in order to build title-contending rosters.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
26 Mar. 2026
-
An Ohio congresswoman is asking a judge to issue an order to take Donald Trump‘s name off the Kennedy Center, contending that the board of the arts institution violated the law in that only Congress can make such a change.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Could Iran end up like Libya, where a NATO air campaign in 2011 helped topple a decades-old dictatorship, but paved the way for the disintegration of the Libyan state into a thicket of rival factions and warring militias?—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Wynter argued that serious candidates should be prepared to address all communities and suggested that Jackson's decision may have been influenced by criticism from rival Burt Jones at a previous event earlier in the week.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The underlying facts of the case are still to be ruled on, but the partial ruling on Friday was a big win for immigration advocates who had been fighting to shut down the controversial site.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The lone Republican was Merritt Farren, a 65-year-old media and technology attorney who lost his home in last year’s Palisades fire, and became an advocate while fighting State Farm’s controversial rate hike request.—
Pat Maio,
Daily News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The driver was also placed on a non-driving status pending the results of the investigation.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
But the small lineup has helped with spacing, creating more driving lanes for Dent while also allowing Bilodeau to beat more plodding counterparts on offense.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But the pictures of Jane and Adam in her wallet in the safe triggered a wave of negative thoughts racing through my mind.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But Antonelli, who is racing in just his second F1 season, is now mounting a challenge of his own.—
Sahil Kapur,
NBC news,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Asked if Mike would be hustling to South Florida to see the brothers reunited on Thursday night, the consensus was that dad would be better off in a more familiar setting.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Sunday night and Monday morning, O'Hare was hustling and bustling, filled with a nervous energy.—
Lauren Victory,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In addition to battling Iran in the airspace in tandem with Operation Epic Fury, Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion has targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon with thousands of airstrikes that have displaced over 1 million Lebanese residents.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Authorities were battling a massive blaze at Kuwait International Airport today after a drone attack hit fuel tanks there, the Kuwaiti army said.—
Moriah Thomas,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Competing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competing. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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