1
as in competition
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the eternal contest between the forces of good and the forces of evil
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tournament
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
a contest for the gold medal in diving
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
what mighty contests have been waged on trivial matters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to challenge
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
vowed to contest the claim in court
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contest
Saikou Jammeh, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Landeskog will be in the lineup for the Colorado Eagles in an AHL contest at Blue Arena in Loveland against the Henderson Silver Knights.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025
Solcyré Burga, Time, 22 Apr. 2025
Play is contested at five-on-five unless dictated otherwise by penalties (unlike three-on-three in regular-season overtime).
—Rob Rossi, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contest
Noun
Here is what to know about the presidential contest.
—Saikou Jammeh, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Landeskog will be in the lineup for the Colorado Eagles in an AHL contest at Blue Arena in Loveland against the Henderson Silver Knights.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
Montgomery County Public Schools, where the issue being contested arose, did not reply to TIME’s request for comment.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 22 Apr. 2025
Play is contested at five-on-five unless dictated otherwise by penalties (unlike three-on-three in regular-season overtime).
—Rob Rossi, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contest
Noun
-
This year, there's little other competition for NFL-ready quarterbacks.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Most importantly, this competition is not ideological.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Their season ended with a 120-106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA play-in tournament Wednesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2025
-
After all, the Heat was 5-1 this season (including the play-in tournament) when using this starting group.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Holy Roman Empire army did eventually move on from the camp, engaging in several skirmishes with the Swedish army stationed nearby.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Today’s group readies to replay the opening battle skirmish, practicing to get their roles down for the upcoming anniversary celebration.—
Melanie Stetson Freeman,
Christian Science Monitor,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The playful, hands-on approach turned the tasting into an interactive game, allowing guests to challenge their spice tolerance against Buldak’s infamous heat.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The defense tries to challenge this seemingly powerful evidence by questioning the accuracy of Harris' findings.—
Susan Mallie,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Orlando City and Atlanta United will meet on Saturday in a fierce rivalry MLS matchup, a game soccer fans in the U.S. won't want to miss.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
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Reflecting on their past as competing late-night talk show hosts, Leno said that the way the media portrayed their rivalry was not accurate.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In the wake of the devastating events of last Sunday's episode of The Last of Us, this week's installment marked a new chapter for Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and the rest of the survivors of the infected horde's attack on Jackson.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
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This type of shoe is perfect for evening or more formal events and goes great with dark jeans or satin finish.—
René Chávez Esparza,
Glamour,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In short, Saturday's clash will bring to a head a battle between two families, two fighters caught in a war started by their fathers, and Eubank won't even have his by his side as they are still estranged.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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The Trump administration is also embroiled in a contentious legal battle regarding deportation involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned the district’s defense that the books are being used to promote respect for others and to show that the world is diverse.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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But critics have questioned why the church, historically a defender of human rights and Christian values, would willingly join forces with the Chinese government, which under leader Xi Jinping has further curtailed religious freedom.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contest. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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