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
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contest
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
As Congress passed landmark civil-rights legislation in the nineteen-sixties, the contest in the Supreme Court over natural law moved to concepts of autonomy and privacy.
—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
2 July 2026
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
The charge shows how contested the AI safety agenda has become.
—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for contest
Noun
Aldama has averaged at least one 3-point make per contest in each of the last four years.
—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
As Congress passed landmark civil-rights legislation in the nineteen-sixties, the contest in the Supreme Court over natural law moved to concepts of autonomy and privacy.
—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
2 July 2026
Verb
The bicentennial occurred during an election year, with all the partisan denunciations that entails (though when Jimmy Carter narrowly beat Ford, no one thought of contesting the results).
—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
The charge shows how contested the AI safety agenda has become.
—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for contest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contest
Noun
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Its young people are increasingly educated and ambitious but many are frustrated over fierce competition for limited jobs.
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In an interview with Mental Floss, competitive eater Yasir Salem discusses how speed eaters will chew gum to strengthen their jaws to avoid fatigue during competitions.
Noun
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The French men’s national team — one of the favorites to win the entire tournament — arrived with HACs, as well as bags from Chanel and Louis Vuitton.
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This is the earliest that the Netherlands was eliminated from a World Cup tournament in history, reports ESPN.
Noun
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The skirmishes date back to shortly after Haaland’s arrival at Manchester City in July 2022.
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Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham’s point toward Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner amid a heated skirmish during their game has gone mega viral.
Verb
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Isaienko and his friends wanted to challenge the perception that climbing was reserved for elite athletes.
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However, with thousands of dividend-paying companies to choose from, identifying the right stocks can be challenging.
Noun
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The Pride and Angel City have established a fierce rivalry in their short history.
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Spain and Portugal renew their historic rivalry, with Lamine Yamal and Cristiano Ronaldo in contrasting lights.
Noun
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Greenwood is leading a series of high-profile events to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
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Fans from around the world attended the event, with many saying this World Cup has felt different.
Noun
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True, nothing so grand as a massive dragon and naval battle took place, but seeing Rhaenyra start to change into someone almost unrecognizable from her younger, more innocent self was compelling in a deeper way.
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There have been naval battles and beheadings and aerial battles and, well, more beheadings.
Verb
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Photos of Haaland on the tarmac posted to social media were riddled with homophobia and comments questioning the striker’s masculinity.
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Maps published by the Israeli government show the pilot zones encompassing the villages of Froun, Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and Ghandouriyeh, but commentators question their value, noting Israel does not have a significant presence in those villages.
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contest. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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