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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contest
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
The deadline to file for Florida's congressional races is Wednesday, solidifying the field in several South Florida contests, including the open race in the state's 24th Congressional District.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026
Why this matters At a time when the role of money in politics remains deeply contested, such patterns remind Americans that campaign finance is not just a story about donors and interest groups.
—Mayank Kejriwal, The Conversation, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contest
Noun
Adames has played nearly every game since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract ahead of the 2025 season, missing just two contests last season.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
The deadline to file for Florida's congressional races is Wednesday, solidifying the field in several South Florida contests, including the open race in the state's 24th Congressional District.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Verb
None of Wednesday's contested responded with the correct answer, Oslo.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026
Why this matters At a time when the role of money in politics remains deeply contested, such patterns remind Americans that campaign finance is not just a story about donors and interest groups.
—Mayank Kejriwal, The Conversation, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contest
Noun
-
Reality competition slipped to 45 from 50; unstructured reality rose to 38 from 36.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
The 2026 men’s World Cup group stage consists of 12 groups of four competing in round-robin competition, an increase of 16 teams from the last men’s World Cup.—
Boston Herald,
Boston Herald,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Trysta Krick and Jay Croucher discuss the World Cup odds for best player of the tournament, and Croucher shares his reasoning behind liking France's Kylian Mbappé (+900) best for the award.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
Students at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill designed and 3D-printed a new version of the vuvuzela, the loud plastic horn that became infamous during past international soccer tournaments.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
One of those skirmishes, in fact, involved Childress himself, in 2011 at Kansas Speedway, when the then-65-year-old car owner for an opposing team got into a physical altercation with Busch after an on-track incident.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
-
At Bunker HIll, historical displays are accompanied by panels with quotes that reflect on the monument and the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first major skirmish of the Revolutionary War.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Brown challenged Maye heading into Thursday’s minicamp practice, the Patriots’ final session before their six-week break until training camp, to be perfect.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
-
The justices also challenged the state’s other evidence, testimony from one of Adam Montgomery’s friends.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Swiatek has owned Paris in recent years, and Alcaraz and Sinner have looked like the next two-man rivalry ready to grab the sport by the throat.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
The intense rivalry between Dutton Ranch and 10 Petal Ranch is one aspect of the show that doesn't ring true for Jarvis.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Trump has attended numerous sporting events since beginning his second term, including the Super Bowl in New Orleans two seasons ago, the Daytona 500 and the Ryder Cup.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Although the structure itself has been replaced, the site has been home to community gatherings, events, concerts and celebrations for the past 130 years.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Mexico dominated, winning the possession battle 60% to 40%.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
The Patriots had goals from Maya Feloney and Ava Bridgman, but the possession battle was firmly in NDA’s favor with the score being 5-2.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump frequently questioned Joe Biden's fitness.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
Some questioned how handing out reprints of an editorial published in the ADA’s own journal, at the ADA’s own annual conference, could be construed as a violation of that code.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contest. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
