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
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
Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Competing Philosophies At the heart of this contest is a clash of political ideologies.
—Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
John Wisely, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Lawyers for some of the children contested that their clients' guardians were all aware and in agreement with the plans to send the minors to Guatemala.
—Chiara Eisner, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contest
Noun
On the Cielo Point Lawn, there’s a variety of family activities, including a caricature artist, a tie-dye station to create colorful T-shirts, watermelon eating contests, and more.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Competing Philosophies At the heart of this contest is a clash of political ideologies.
—Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
The schools said if such a request did come, through a search warrant or a subpoena for the videos, school lawyers would have to review the request before deciding whether to comply with or contest the request.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Lawyers for some of the children contested that their clients' guardians were all aware and in agreement with the plans to send the minors to Guatemala.
—Chiara Eisner, NPR, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contest
Noun
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The treble — a club winning their domestic league title, main domestic cup competition and the European Cup/Champions League — has happened 11 times, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich the only sides to do so more than once.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Budgets are tight, and even in this tiny economic niche, competition is steep because many sell the same products to the same audience.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After that, Alcaraz brought the hammer down with his otherwise impenetrable delivery, which was broken only three times across the tournament.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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But Sunday’s final was a reminder that a whole tournament is a heavy weight for any two players to carry — even Sinner and Alcaraz.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This particular finding presents a more nuanced framing of gun violence and challenges dominant narratives about Chicago’s violence that have plagued the city’s reputation for decades.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Under Vamosy, the agency challenges conventions, pushes boundaries, and sets a new standard for how brands interact with the world.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Border War will be back in Columbia next week, the renewal of a historic rivalry that hasn’t been played in football since 2011.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
29 Aug. 2025
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Apart from maintaining his streak at the Diamond League, this win also highlights Lyle’s and Tebogo’s growing on-track rivalry.—
Paras J. Haji,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In her most recent outing, which served as the co-main event of UFC 315 in May of this year, Shevchenko successfully defended her title for the first time in her second reign with a unanimous decision win over Manon Fiorot.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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The mission of those events is to get the truck in front of people who are interested in it, those who are already reservation holders and to introduce the company and truck to people who have never heard of Slate.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The move is the latest update in a years-long battle over the home of the military's newest combatant command, which is now based in Colorado Springs.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In August 2024, Francesca opened up about her mom’s battle with Parkinson’s disease in a video on TikTok.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Dozens of Department of Homeland Security and Metropolitan Police Department officers stood on the block between V and W streets to question passing drivers, while several protesters directed traffic away from the scene.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Aug. 2025
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For American politicians and intellectuals alike, criticizing Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank or questioning America’s support for Israel has become dangerous, all too often incurring charges of antisemitism.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contest. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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