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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
David Close, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
The loss set up Sunday’s elimination contest.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The country's largest opposition party Chadema was banned from contesting the elections and its leader Tundu Lissu is currently on trial on treason charges.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contest
Noun
Clase and Ortiz face charges on multiple counts of wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, money laundering conspiracy and more, according to prosecutors on Sunday.
—David Close, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
The loss set up Sunday’s elimination contest.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
Perhaps coincidentally, City and Chelsea contested that season’s Champions League final.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The country's largest opposition party Chadema was banned from contesting the elections and its leader Tundu Lissu is currently on trial on treason charges.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contest
Noun
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Starbucks has also come under intense competition from the surging popularity of tea drinks chains like Mixue Bingcheng, ChaGee and HeyTea.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Several banks lowered their price targets following the earnings report, pointing to increasing competition from larger social platforms like Instagram and TikTok and concerns over macro headwinds.—
Jaures Yip,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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England play their last two World Cup qualifiers over the next eight days, against Serbia and Albania, but have already secured their place at the finals and preparations are underway for the tournament.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The team is third in its group and cannot finish first to qualify automatically for next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, or even second to get into the playoffs.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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David Wolf, the executive director of the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Scottsbluff, said experts estimate that as many 10 people died for every mile of the trail ‒ perhaps as many as 20,000 travelers, plus an unknown number of Native Americans killed during skirmishes.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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The skirmish brought players from both teams out of the dugouts and out of the bullpens.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But when asked about the duo, McKillop elected to talk about the entire backcourt, making play-time decisions challenging this early in the season with a brand new roster.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Nov. 2025
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By failing to challenge India’s support for an autocratic regime, the United States inadvertently opened the door for China.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In recent decades, Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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The Fighting Irish have absolutely dominated the rivalry in recent years, taking down the Panthers with a 58-7 final score in 2023 and a 45-3 final score in 2020.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That is because their brightness may be strongly affected by the age of the progenitor stars of these explosive events.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Prince William's biggest event of the year went head-to-head with Prince Harry's support for military veterans during a trip to Canada on Wednesday.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Davidson Wildcats’ men’s basketball team hunted the three-ball early and often in the 40th edition of the battle for the Hornets’ Nest, connecting frequently on the way to a 62-55 victory over the Charlotte 49ers on Tuesday night.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Nov. 2025
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In a battle of NFC behemoths, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (7-2) escaped Green Bay with a 10-7 win.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Leaders must analyze complex data, question AI outputs and make ethical decisions amid rapid change.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
10 Nov. 2025
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In September 2025, TCC Chief Financial Officer Pamela Anglin questioned the drastic drop in votes allotted.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contest. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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