Synonyms of contests

contests 1 of 2

noun

plural of contest

1

as in rivalries

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

• rivalries
• competitions
• battles
• duels
• struggles
• confrontations
• contentions
• conflicts
• matches
• wars
• sweepstakes
• warfares
• dogfights
• clashes
• strifes
• ball games
• face-offs
• combats
• tugs-of-war
• showdowns
• debates
• grapples
• disputes
• disputations
• horse races
• collisions
• quarrels
• arguments
• nail-biters
• frictions
• controversies
• discords
• disagreements
• wrangles
• rows
• dissensions

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• harmonies
• concords
• peaces

2

as in tournaments

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

• tournaments
• competitions
• games
• events
• matches
• sports
• championships
• sweepstakes
• bouts
• tourneys
• matchups
• meets
• battles
• races
• athletics
• skirmishes
• nationals
• scrimmages
• semifinals
• tussles
• outings
• derbies
• finals
• struggles
• heats
• marathons
• runs
• conflicts
• triathlons
• rounds
• rallies
• tugs-of-war
• gymkhanas
• runoffs
• field days
• volleys
• play-offs
• rubbers
• decathlons
• biathlons
• nightcaps
• ultramarathons
• sudden deaths
• sets
• round-robins
• seesaws
• classics
• pentathlons
• heptathlons
• dead heats
• photo finishes

3

as in skirmishes

a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups

what mighty contests have been waged on trivial matters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skirmishes
• clashes
• fights
• battles
• scrimmages
• struggles
• brawls
• tussles
• scuffles
• duels
• dustups
• confrontations
• conflicts
• altercations
• frays
• fracases
• scraps
• combats
• scrums
• quarrels
• pitched battles
• disputes
• fistfights
• jousts
• slugfests
• blows
• hassles
• melees
• fisticuffs
• affrays
• broils
• controversies
• battles royal
• punch-outs
• squabbles
• tangles
• mix-ups
• spats
• face-offs
• ruckuses
• donnybrooks
• rows
• rough-and-tumbles
• wrangles
• catfights
• punch-ups
• free-for-alls
• arguments
• disagreements
• ructions
• contretemps
• tiffs
• kickups
• cross fires
• fallings-out
• misunderstandings
• handgrips
• grapples
• argle-bargles
• argy-bargies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truces

contests

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of contest

as in challenges

to demand proof of the truth or rightness of

vowed to contest the claim in court

Synonyms & Similar Words

• challenges
• questions
• disputes
• queries
• protests
• calls in question
• doubts
• oppugns
• impeaches
• objects (to)
• fights
• kicks (about)
• opposes
• resists
• combats
• mistrusts

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• believes
• accepts
• embraces
• supports
• swallows
• backs
• defends
• champions
• advocates
• promotes
• endures
• tolerates
• abides
• stomachs

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contests

Noun

An Emerson College survey testing potential 2028 contests found Ossoff ahead of both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in hypothetical general election matchups. — Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

But the practical race in 2026 is won by mastering both contests at once with absolute capability and radical efficiency, closed excellence and open diffusion, the biggest reliable compute and the smartest use of it. — Mark Minevich, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Patsy, a former beauty pageant contestant who won Miss West Virginia in 1977, encouraged her daughter’s participation in pageants, and JonBenét won a number of contests. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026

Thursday’s result settled the third of four contests for the seat this year. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

Due to a shoddy defense, Washington is already down double figures in a multitude of contests. — Brad Evans, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Saturday, utilizes 56,000 square feet of indoor space to host more than 200 vendors, sword-fighting, costume contests, live musicians, mermaids, fairies and photo ops. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

The 1998 Warped Tour included a vert ramp, street course and Vans Amateur World Skateboarding Championships qualifying contests at tour stops. — Michelle Bruton, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Built into a natural ravine, the stadium’s site was used for ancient Greek athletic contests and later Roman spectacles before falling into centuries of disuse. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Verb

The family’s future is in limbo as Jeanie Buss contests her five siblings’ plans to sell their remaining stake of the team. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Water and Oxygen Disruption Phillips also contests the notion that weed fabrics are as breathable as they're advertised to be. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 21 May 2026

The current insurgency directly contests Pakistan’s capacity to deliver security in Balochistan. — Amira Jadoon, The Conversation, 13 May 2026

Here, Sarr successfully contests a 13-foot floater by Tyler Kolek. — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

The high court’s decision did not address the underlying merits of the lawsuit, which contests the Department of Homeland Security’s revocation policy. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025

If the president contests that decision, Congress must resolve the dispute, requiring a two-thirds vote in both chambers to maintain the vice president's authority. — Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025