Thesaurus results for COMPETE

compete

verb

kəm-ˈpēt

Definition of compete

as in to contend

to engage in a contest prizefighters competing for the world heavyweight championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of compete The one common thread the Dolphins have had as a franchise in the post-Dan Marino era is the fact everyone associated with this organization has been terrified of quarterbacks competing. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 For roughly the past decade, a flood of litigation has chipped away at many long-standing rules governing college sports — from the tradition of amateurism to rules around transfers and who is eligible to compete at all. — Becky Sullivan, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026 Before video games, popular shooting games – the kind found at fairs and carnivals – generally involved friendly competition, with players competing to see who could hit targets most accurately. — Mark J. P. Wolf, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026 Their views indicate that supporting data center growth and strengthening oversight are not competing goals. — Fengxiu Zhang, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for compete

Recent Examples of Synonyms for compete

Verb

Georgia Power is adding an unprecedented amount of new electricity to its power grid, much of which will come from gas plants, which critics contend will produce more planet-warming greenhouse gases.

— Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026
The color line As in Germany, historians contend that Southern Jews who wanted reforms, which wound up making worship more similar to a Protestant service, were responding to the overwhelmingly Christian makeup of the society around them.

— Ashley Walters, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of contend

Verb

Kosovo has criticized the verdicts as unjust, maintaining that the KLA, which Thaci had led before entering politics, fought against Serbian oppression.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
His emphasis on fighting crime, his anti-left agenda and his confrontations with the Supreme Federal Court and Brazil’s political establishment directly appeal to issues that have mobilized Bolsonaro’s base for years.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of fight

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compensations

compete

competed

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“Compete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compete. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of compete

verb

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