as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the playful competition over who would get the new office turned into a real dogfight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 dogfights
Unlike conventional drones focused on surveillance or limited strikes, Kizilelma is tailored for operations in hostile environments, aerial dogfights, and teamwork with piloted fighters.
—
Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
Its open world feels alive with bustling cities, dangerous deserts, and space dogfights.
—PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
Two games like this, dogfights to start the year and just closing it on defense, there’s no better feeling.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
Following that incident, analysts wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Turkish-Israeli mock dogfights, not unlike the recurring Turkish-Greek ones over the Aegean Sea, occurring over Syria, especially if Israel and Turkey’s opposing policies in that country diverge even further.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
On top of dogfights and exploration, there are plenty of puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
Its open world feels alive with bustling cities, dangerous deserts, and space dogfights.
—PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
Two games like this, dogfights to start the year and just closing it on defense, there’s no better feeling.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
Following that incident, analysts wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Turkish-Israeli mock dogfights, not unlike the recurring Turkish-Greek ones over the Aegean Sea, occurring over Syria, especially if Israel and Turkey’s opposing policies in that country diverge even further.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
On top of dogfights and exploration, there are plenty of puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfights
Noun
-
Anyone who has followed the devastating violence in California’s prisons knows that gang rivalries trigger a lot of the bloodshed.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
With the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers set to face off in Saturday nights' playoff game, some local couples are hoping love can overcome even the biggest of rivalries.—
Marissa Perlman,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Following the Bork confirmation debacle—when the Senate, closely split along party lines, rejected Robert Bork’s nomination to the Court—justices tended to reach the bench only after passing ideological screening systems and bruising Senate battles.—
Duncan Hosie,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
-
From roster makeup to individual position battles to the coaches looking to exploit any advantage on the field, every bit of film is scrutinized to see which team has the advantage in January.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Miley won eight of his 10 ground duels and one of his three in the air.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Much like the classic Tom Brady-Peyton Manning duels of old, the quarterback matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen — the two current MVP frontrunners — is can’t-miss television.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The actors will deliver quotes from the artists, thereby giving viewers a better understanding of the process and struggles of artists, Challis Davy said.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
-
However, all but one Horned Frog who got in the game scored, and Campbell said the team’s scoring versatility matters even more when one of the team’s top scorers struggles.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Friday’s incident is the latest in a number of confrontations around the country in which agents have used deadly or what experts say is excessive force.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
But rather that politicians cannot proselytize for the confrontations.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
De Laurentiis took all the chaos in stride and was the expert judge for the cooking portion of the outrageous lineup of competitions.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Midwest's best winter fests include big-city ice-carving competitions as well as cozy small-town gatherings.—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
She's also covered the cartel wars along the TX-MX border, Congress in Mexico City, 3 presidential races, and 6 hurricanes.—
Karen Brooks Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
No One Knows What to Call Venezuela The wars since 1945 have not actually been so explicitly about resources, yet the President can't seem to stop talking about oil and energy.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Their world inside Parchman was defined by regulation of contraband items, the work they were told to do, conflicts with other inmates, and the corruption and neglect of the prison administrators.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Though there are no mentions in Woman Down of conflicts between the cast of the movie-within-the-book, Petra did butt heads with a producer named Allister Jones, who was behind the changes to the plot for the adaptation.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dogfights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfights. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
