as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the playful competition over who would get the new office turned into a real dogfight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dogfight
Some 125 Indian and Pakistani fighter jets battled for over an hour in one of the biggest dogfights in recent history, according to a Pakistani security source quoted by CNN.
—
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
New York was able to capitalize and win, 123-112, to open up what looks to be a dogfight against Detroit.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Pakistan scrambled fighter jets, and the two air forces engaged in a dogfight before the crisis ended.
—Michael Kugelman, Time, 3 May 2025
Nara’s compelling Cosmic Eyes then followed suit, going for £9 million (high estimate: £8 million) at the end of another 10-minute dogfight between four parties.
—George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
New York was able to capitalize and win, 123-112, to open up what looks to be a dogfight against Detroit.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Pakistan scrambled fighter jets, and the two air forces engaged in a dogfight before the crisis ended.
—Michael Kugelman, Time, 3 May 2025
Nara’s compelling Cosmic Eyes then followed suit, going for £9 million (high estimate: £8 million) at the end of another 10-minute dogfight between four parties.
—George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfight
Noun
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This is also a historic rivalry, so that's why so many people are tuning in.—
Ryan Stano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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How can the club improve its image around the world, where international fans are less concerned with local rivalries?—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Recently, a German court quietly ended a landmark legal battle that had spanned nearly a decade.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Fires and recovery Crews battle fire burning in Pala, evacuations underway in northern San Diego County.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Above, a curious duel unfolded: a seagull clashing mid-air with a hovering drone.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Ureña won a nine-pitch duel with Jeff McNeil, striking out the second baseman with a 97-mph sinker, and Smith picked off Marte at third to complete a rare home-to-third, strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play.—
Mike Digiovanna,
Oc Register,
5 June 2025
Noun
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For Case, the Welsh race in mid-May was her first big competition since the summer of 2022: the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run in Colorado.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
30 May 2025
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McClain is Hartford’s main competition for the second safety spot.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
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An increase in the drone supply—in addition to their effectiveness in combat operations—is reflective of a strategic adaptation by NATO to new forms of warfare that increasingly rely on unmanned systems.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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The immediate incentive for our nation to enter that war was the declaration by Germany of unrestricted submarine warfare.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Noun
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The district developed some new policies after discovering COVID created not only bad habits but major struggles for families, including housing, employment and mental health, said Keith Oswald, chief of equity and wellness.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
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Goldberg emphasized the struggle to balance his warrior mentality with his body's current limitations, especially during Muay Thai training.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Fighting for working people also means standing up to Donald Trump and his war on the fundamental values of our city.—
Zohran Mamdani,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2025
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Israel's government said he was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed early in the war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
Noun
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The tense confrontation was the latest flashpoint between the Trump administration and Chicago over immigration policies — a potentially ominous sign for what’s ahead for the nation’s third-largest city, which has long been in the president’s crosshairs.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
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In the ensuing violent confrontation, her son is killed.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfight. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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