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
Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
For the $500,000 question, the contestants were asked which star’s first claim to fame was entering a Steve Martin look-alike contest.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 July 2025
Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Such expressions of moral clarity are rare, though, in an age of confusion and endlessly contested facts that has been harnessed by the Netanyahu government, which speaks a fluent dialect of the MAGA language of politics.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contest
Noun
Cosplay fans will want to tune in to the Top 8 contest, Thiher said, with the winner having a chance to go to Evo France.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
For the $500,000 question, the contestants were asked which star’s first claim to fame was entering a Steve Martin look-alike contest.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 July 2025
Verb
Every match contested will feature an MLS and Liga MX teams from the same group, at the MLS team’s home venue.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Such expressions of moral clarity are rare, though, in an age of confusion and endlessly contested facts that has been harnessed by the Netanyahu government, which speaks a fluent dialect of the MAGA language of politics.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contest
Noun
-
The annual festival features multiple bock beers from local craft breweries, a sausage cooking competition, live music, from local musicians, local vendors, and the highlight of the day, multiple heats of racing goat.—
Kirby Adams,
The Courier-Journal,
30 July 2025
-
Shares of Apple have tumbled 14% this year, partly on concerns over its high exposure to tariff uncertainty and intensifying competition in smartphones and artificial intelligence sector.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Other names appearing somewhere on tournament’s leaderboard include NFL players Travis and Jason Kelce, Sacramento Kings player Zach Lavine, and actors Miles Teller and Alfonso Ribeiro.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
-
The men’s tournament will begin on June 11, 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada.—
Pete Grathoff
July 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
This is the third bench-clearing skirmish for the Angels this season, though none has resulted in ejections.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
-
That’s right, the first camp skirmish pitted a pair of rookies, tackle Josh Simmons and interior defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott, with Simmons appearing to land a right-handed blow to Norman-Lott’s helmet.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
There are numerous other active lawsuits challenging Trump’s tariffs, but the V.O.S. case is the furthest one along and its outcome could dictate how other cases fare.—
Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
31 July 2025
-
Maintaining a strong sense of connection to the company culture and fostering collaboration can be challenging when working remotely or on the move.—
CJ Eason,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
Trump's hardline trade stance, however, risks straining the delicate U.S.-India defense relationship, which has blossomed in recent years in a sign of India's geostrategic importance to the United States amid its rivalry with China.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 July 2025
-
Due to their ensuing real-life and fictional rivalry to reach the top of the WWE pinnacle, there was still some bad blood between Punk and Triple H as the latter moved into an executive position.—
Skyler Trepel,
People.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Kicking off the events is the HaRUNbee 5K Run/Walk for Healthy Birth Outcomes on Saturday, Aug. 2.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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More Tim Heitman/Getty Images His result at this event gave Charlie 80 points toward the Junior Ryder Cup team's qualifying ranking, bringing his total to 455.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There is a battle shaping up for the fourth safety spot between Jefferson, rookie RJ Mickens and Kendall Williamson.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
-
The conservative-majority court has already knocked out a significant part of the law, but the new legal fronts could reshape decades-long precedent of legal battles over political power.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
The song captures Rumi’s internal struggle and her growing uncertainty about the road ahead, marking a shift in her journey from confident leader to someone questioning the cost of it all.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
Meanwhile, some comments under the original video questioned if the Pentagon had asked Metallica for permission to use the song, with many questioning whether the band would have agreed to do so.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contest. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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