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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in contending
to engage in a contest
prizefighters competing for the world heavyweight championship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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
Liam Tharme, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The researchers are now testing the process on real battery waste and more complex electronic scrap streams containing additional competing ions and lower metal concentrations.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026
Snelling is one of the Marlins’ top two pitching prospects (behind only Thomas White), and Pauley is competing with Connor Norby to start at third base.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
The Women’s Champions Classic began in 2024 with four teams — UConn, Iowa, Louisville and Tennessee — competing in a double-header at the New York Liberty’s home arena in Brooklyn, and the same four squads returned to the event in 2025.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
On the specialty side, there’s Neon’s foreign-language films A Sentimental Value and A Secret Agent, which are both competing in the Oscar best picture race and are hovering in the $4 million to $6 million range.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
The possible embarrassment of bleeding through the uniforms was a common distraction while competing, said Calabrese, who is the company’s chief marketing officer.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
With several others competing for openings in the Yankees’ bullpen, Boone has spoken as if Headrick is in pole position.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
The major obstacle facing a coal revival is the price of competing energy sources, especially natural gas.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 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
Only when Russia and Belarus, separately, took FIS (the international ski and snowboard federation) to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in December 2025, did their competing in Italy become possible.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The researchers are now testing the process on real battery waste and more complex electronic scrap streams containing additional competing ions and lower metal concentrations.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026
Snelling is one of the Marlins’ top two pitching prospects (behind only Thomas White), and Pauley is competing with Connor Norby to start at third base.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
The Women’s Champions Classic began in 2024 with four teams — UConn, Iowa, Louisville and Tennessee — competing in a double-header at the New York Liberty’s home arena in Brooklyn, and the same four squads returned to the event in 2025.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
On the specialty side, there’s Neon’s foreign-language films A Sentimental Value and A Secret Agent, which are both competing in the Oscar best picture race and are hovering in the $4 million to $6 million range.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026
The possible embarrassment of bleeding through the uniforms was a common distraction while competing, said Calabrese, who is the company’s chief marketing officer.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
With several others competing for openings in the Yankees’ bullpen, Boone has spoken as if Headrick is in pole position.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
The major obstacle facing a coal revival is the price of competing energy sources, especially natural gas.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competing
Adjective
-
HostArmada is an excellent web host for individual creators and small businesses looking for competitive plans that won't break the bank.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Student in highly competitive high school learns that focusing on arts plus taking only one AP class equals an object of ridicule.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But unlike many of their other losses to playoff-contending teams, the Lakers answered Denver’s run.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
On a Stanley Cup-contending team, he’s best served as a third-line driver.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet, after Saturday’s regular-season finale, a 76-61 rout of rival North Carolina, that’s no longer the case for Jon Scheyer’s team.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Archbishop Williams shut out rival Bishop Feehan 5-0.—
Zach McMahon,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nearby, pigeons are fighting over what, horrifyingly, appears to be a chicken strip.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The ferocity of Iran’s attacks on America’s Gulf allies, and the regime’s determination to keep fighting, have already come as a nasty surprise to him.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Bring along a non-driving guest to enjoy the hotel part of the program for $350.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The other six warned the city was racing toward a costly and uncertain exit strategy.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Her propulsive new book, Driven, traces a life shaped by that belief—from racing her brother on a 50cc bike in Oban, Scotland, at six, to entering the Kart World Championship at 14 as the only girl in the paddock.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For years, Rachel and Irvi had been hustling to make this routine work, hoping that American immigration policy would evolve and allow Irvi, who had spent half his life in the United States, to become a citizen.—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The Lakers star then passed to a hustling Austin Reaves, who took a few dribbles to get a Kings defender to commit before making an alley-oop pass to James for a two-handed, rim-hanging dunk.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Firefighters are still battling the five-alarm blaze, which is expected to continue burning for several days.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Vucevic sustained the injury while battling for position with Mavericks big man Moussa Cisse on an entry pass.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Competing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competing. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
