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
Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Establishing an entirely new and competing agency is merely the pursuit of a bureaucratic gravy train, and providing it with incentives to abuse power in order to boost its own coffers is an invitation to tyranny.
—Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
No more competing Monday night windows.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Truth is a public good Politics is not a seminar in absolute clarity, and competing claims are always part of the process.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2026
Like the Joker, O’Leary tends to give competing origin stories for his nickname.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
In comparison, Paramount Skydance, with its hostile and competing bid for WBD, saw its stock rise just over 29 percent so far in 2025 after closing at $13.50 on Dec. 29.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Colorado River Compact figures no longer add up As always, the crux of this fight goes back to the Colorado River Compact and competing theories about how its flawed predictions of available water should be overcome.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 18 Dec. 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
Jaide Timm-Garcia, AJC.com, 25 June 2026
Collectors are competing for works with scarcity, exceptional provenance, and a clear place in art history.
—George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026
Plug-ins combined with candles and sprays send competing scent signals through a house, which can read as cluttered rather than curated.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026
Conversely, during times when mortgage rates are low, buyers end up competing for fewer homes, which drives up prices.
—ABC News, 24 June 2026
Plug-ins, candles and sprays running at the same time generate competing scent signals, which is part of why a house can smell different in every room and not in a good way.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026
The administration's pledge has already run into a competing account from Tehran.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 June 2026
And go in with realistic expectations about scalper activity, because if the show is in high demand, bots will be competing too.
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026
Bowman has been competing at USA Basketball’s Under 17 World Cup training camp in Colorado.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Adjective
From the non-competing tier, there’s a few teams who absolutely spent in the 2026 draft, no shade here.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Establishing an entirely new and competing agency is merely the pursuit of a bureaucratic gravy train, and providing it with incentives to abuse power in order to boost its own coffers is an invitation to tyranny.
—Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
No more competing Monday night windows.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Truth is a public good Politics is not a seminar in absolute clarity, and competing claims are always part of the process.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2026
Like the Joker, O’Leary tends to give competing origin stories for his nickname.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
In comparison, Paramount Skydance, with its hostile and competing bid for WBD, saw its stock rise just over 29 percent so far in 2025 after closing at $13.50 on Dec. 29.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025
Colorado River Compact figures no longer add up As always, the crux of this fight goes back to the Colorado River Compact and competing theories about how its flawed predictions of available water should be overcome.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 18 Dec. 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
Verb
Louicius Deedson — the only player from Atlanta competing in this World Cup — was coming home.
—Jaide Timm-Garcia, AJC.com, 25 June 2026
Collectors are competing for works with scarcity, exceptional provenance, and a clear place in art history.
—George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026
Plug-ins combined with candles and sprays send competing scent signals through a house, which can read as cluttered rather than curated.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026
Conversely, during times when mortgage rates are low, buyers end up competing for fewer homes, which drives up prices.
—ABC News, 24 June 2026
Plug-ins, candles and sprays running at the same time generate competing scent signals, which is part of why a house can smell different in every room and not in a good way.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026
The administration's pledge has already run into a competing account from Tehran.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 June 2026
And go in with realistic expectations about scalper activity, because if the show is in high demand, bots will be competing too.
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026
Bowman has been competing at USA Basketball’s Under 17 World Cup training camp in Colorado.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competing
Adjective
-
For the couple, Fan Fest provided the perfect competitive backdrop.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
Any of those teams would give him an opportunity to contribute in a role in a competitive context right away.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Hernandez disagreed, contending department officials walk over them.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
18 June 2026
-
The Swede's game should fit this difficult track, but contending or not will rely on what is going on between the ears.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
In another poll conducted earlier this year, Starmer’s likeability rating was only 20%—several points below rival party leaders.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
This change, announced in January 2025 , will bring FedEx in line with rival UPS and other transportation industry players.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump has shattered diplomatic norms with explicit endorsements, fueling accusations from Mexico and Colombia that Washington is attempting to tilt foreign elections under the guise of fighting drugs.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Utah has spent the past year fighting measles outbreaks — a grim milestone that could affect whether the United States can keep its measles-free designation.—
Devi Shastri,
Fortune,
20 June 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
-
Nor will this anti-driving VMT policy meaningfully affect the global climate.—
Jennifer Hernandez,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In case the winning bidder does not continue racing, the track will have to lay off its workforce.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
-
But on Naval Base Coronado in San Diego this weekend, NASCAR’s arrival wasn’t simply another destination event or another experiment in taking racing somewhere unusual.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Pitt, then, is a fitting gig, with its gritty portrayal of a hustling ER full of vulnerable patients and clinicians collectively muscling through.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
-
Others of you may be hustling to pay off — or gain — large amounts of capital.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
The declaration activates additional city resources and seeks state support as firefighters continue battling flare-ups and lingering smoke from the blaze.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
-
And this is especially important considering his grandfather, King Charles, has been battling cancer for a few years, and preparations for his father to take the throne sooner or later are already in place.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Competing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competing. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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