1
as in equivalent
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
a design that is a rival to any produced by a professional graphic artist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in opponent
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
the boxer's toughest rival thus far
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in competitor
one who strives for the same thing as another
the four cities that are the top rivals for the site of the next Olympic Games
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in competitive
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rival
Seth Harp, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2025
At the time, Veronica was working a desk job for a rival insurance agent.
—Mickey Rapkin, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2025
Matt O’Brien, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
After its initial success, OpenAI has faced stiff competition from rivals including Google and startup Anthropic, and is looking for new areas of growth.
—Kenrick Cai, USA Today, 11 July 2025
Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 25 July 2025
With its immaculate box seats and stage to rival any Broadway theater, the Grand Ballroom is the city’s only three-tiered ballroom, accommodating an astounding 1,550 guests.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rival
Noun
Not long after, the rogue commandos again betrayed their employers, struck out on their own, and formed a rival cartel.
—Seth Harp, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2025
At the time, Veronica was working a desk job for a rival insurance agent.
—Mickey Rapkin, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2025
Verb
Built using huge amounts of computing power at a Tennessee data center, Grok is Musk’s attempt to outdo rivals such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini in building an AI assistant that shows its reasoning before answering a question.
—Matt O’Brien, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
After its initial success, OpenAI has faced stiff competition from rivals including Google and startup Anthropic, and is looking for new areas of growth.
—Kenrick Cai, USA Today, 11 July 2025
Adjective
OpenAI is also said to be working on productivity tools to rival Microsoft Office and Google Workplace.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 25 July 2025
With its immaculate box seats and stage to rival any Broadway theater, the Grand Ballroom is the city’s only three-tiered ballroom, accommodating an astounding 1,550 guests.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rival
Noun
-
First, opponents argued that the rule was unlawful and that Congress would need to amend the statute to implement the changes proposed by DHS in its rule.—
Stuart Anderson,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
The same is true of pickleball, where a skilled player with the right paddle can cause problems for an opponent.—
Martin Cizmar,
Wired News,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
Rather than relying exclusively on team members for data insights and execution, understanding how to effectively use AI tools will enable creative directors to significantly enhance their team’s efficiency and stay ahead of competitors.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
Deutsche Bank: Buy, price target to $266 from $230 Amazon market share gains have accelerated in the absence of e-commerce competitors Temu and Shein, supporting a case for upside in second- and third-quarter numbers, analyst Lee Horowitz said in a July 22 report.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
Teams are competing to win the $50,000 grand prize.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
-
In contrast, the Cincinnati area is aging more quickly and struggling to draw in younger workers — a trend that, according to the chamber's report, could hinder the region’s ability to compete with other metros in business growth, infrastructure development, and innovation.—
Randy Tucker,
The Enquirer,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
There are many factors to explain why two particular teams unite on the dance floor, from executive friendships to teams’ competitive cycles.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
-
And in a multigenerational workforce, using AI to deliver the right benefit at the right time may be the next competitive edge.—
Joseph Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Those traits are evident now in his younger counterpart.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
-
Losing patience with Putin, Trump has accused his Russian counterpart of being open to a ceasefire during private conversations, only to carry out attacks on Ukraine afterward.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
The club’s 48 points are the most league-wide, but fellow Eastern Conference foes Nashville SC and Philadelphia Union aren’t far behind.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
-
The two foes traded hundreds of strikes, with the U.S. conducting its own series of strikes against the key Iranian enrichment sites of Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, followed by an Iranian missile strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, until Trump announced a ceasefire on June 24.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
According to multiple reports, the UFC parted ways with 33-year-old Slovakian heavyweight contender Martin Buday.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
Kienholz was probably the slightly better of the two contenders, but the goal for both is to start stringing good practices together to make the decision easier.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
In its petition to the Travis County state District Court, IGT contends that donating to a caucus is not the same as contributing to a political campaign.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Hatfield contended that violated the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys as well as Texas law, rendering the Nunez contract invalid and unenforceable, Brooks' opinion states.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rival. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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