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
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
There was also a contest overseen by judges who work at Bridgeview courthouse.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
Nordic combined has been contested in every Winter Olympics since their start in 1924 and is the only event in the Games that excludes women.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contest
Noun
And what that means, of course, is the kind of the stress and the ambition for winning the cooking contest meets the relationships and the night lives that go alongside of that.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
There was also a contest overseen by judges who work at Bridgeview courthouse.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
Sternhell’s thesis on the French origins of fascism was fiercely contested in a France that, even as late as the 1980s, was still grappling with the historical entanglement between the political cultures of the Third Republic and those of the Vichy state.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
Nordic combined has been contested in every Winter Olympics since their start in 1924 and is the only event in the Games that excludes women.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contest
Noun
-
For the first time in four Winter Games, a Russian woman did not win gold in the singles competition.—
Bora Erden,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The global theatrical business has recovered faster, post-COVID, than the domestic market, and in most major international territories, there is still healthy competition, with multiple large and mid-sized buyers able to bid on buzz titles.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Thursday night probably won’t be one of those talked about on the Trojans’ tournament resume.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The second big night of high school boys hockey section tournament play again went very much according to seed.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Some people taking part in recent walkouts and demonstrations have encountered police skirmish lines, arrests.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
As the hearings continued, Welch and Cohn engaged in heated legal skirmishes.—
Kristen Monroe,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Welcome to week 27 of The Athletic’s Premier League predictions challenge, where nobody — not even table-topping Wilfred — saw that Wolves comeback coming.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
His calm authority, wit, and quiet moral certainty is challenged by escalating reports of a mysterious affliction hitting the inhabitants of New York and beyond.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Camden, who came to Cal as a transfer from Delaware, knew enough about the rivalry to get things right, almost.—
Jeff Faraudo,
Mercury News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Texas State's focus remains on the present, but Friday night, fans saw the seeds of a conference rivalry being sewn.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Load levels, temperatures, events, alarm histories, battery status and more are all monitored in real-time, and once any measured parameter strays outside of normal levels, the urgency of an onsite intervention can be quantified and acted upon.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Regular attendees noticed the effect of a denser Fall/Winter schedule compared to previous seasons, and there were multiple dinners and cocktail events taking place each night.—
Maliha Shoaib,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Britain had split the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before that colony gained independence, something that has been a source of diplomatic friction as well as multiple legal battles with locals who were evicted.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Arsenal is challenging for the titl while Tottenham — under new coach Igor Tudor — is in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Uludag denied the accusations during questioning, insisting that his posts were legitimate criticism made in his capacity as a judiciary reporter, according to court documents published by Cumhuriyet newspaper.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Some researchers question whether addiction is the appropriate term to describe heavy use of social media, arguing that a person must be experiencing identifiable symptoms.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contest. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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