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
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Recent Examples of dogfights
Its open world feels alive with bustling cities, dangerous deserts, and space dogfights.
—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
There’s also a four-player battle mode where players can team up as Star Fox or the evil Star Wolf team and engage in massive dogfights through space.
—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
25 June 2026
The aim is to produce crews capable of handling complex multi-domain battlespaces rather than isolated dogfights.
—
David Szondy
may 24,
New Atlas,
24 May 2026
Williams was given the military’s highest honor for courageously taking on seven Soviet MiG aircraft over Korea in 1952 and knocking four of them out of the sky in what is widely regarded as one of the longest and toughest aerial dogfights in the history of the Navy.
—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
While very rare, even visual-range dogfights tend to occur over a few miles.
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
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
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
There’s also a four-player battle mode where players can team up as Star Fox or the evil Star Wolf team and engage in massive dogfights through space.
—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
25 June 2026
The aim is to produce crews capable of handling complex multi-domain battlespaces rather than isolated dogfights.
—
David Szondy
may 24,
New Atlas,
24 May 2026
Williams was given the military’s highest honor for courageously taking on seven Soviet MiG aircraft over Korea in 1952 and knocking four of them out of the sky in what is widely regarded as one of the longest and toughest aerial dogfights in the history of the Navy.
—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
While very rare, even visual-range dogfights tend to occur over a few miles.
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
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
-
At a time when the news cycle seems to serve up nothing but conflict, crisis and woe, the World Cup offers shelter, a truly international event in which conflict is defined by long-term sports rivalries and questionable referee decisions.
-
The Golden State Warriors are reportedly looking to pair James with Stephen Curry, which would turn one of the NBA's greatest rivalries into two of the game's greatest stars fighting for their fifth title together.
Noun
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On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military headquarters directing the action in Ukraine to receive a report on the capture of the city of Kostyantynivka after weeks of intense street battles.
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Legal battles can discourage farmers Mora said the years-long litigation has left him feeling frustrated and defenseless.
Noun
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However, Azula intercepts the group and duels Aang and Katara with Zuko, who nearly had a change of heart after opening up to Katara.
-
Yes, purists love pitching duels.
Noun
-
And then there’s the guy that had a lot of success, and through injuries or struggles, needs to change some things and adjust some things.
-
The actress spent a few years away from Hollywood, working at a treatment center after her own struggles with substance abuse.
Noun
-
Drama unfolds as tears are shed, confrontations occur and someone is asked to leave.
-
Ever delves into catastrophic confrontations over fences, noise, and general bad behavior.
Noun
-
Ski and snowboard streetstyle, which have had X Games demos that have transformed into medal events, aren’t included in the league structure, but may have standalone competitions.
-
So expect rainbow flags around the stadium, art competitions in the city and street parties galore.
Noun
-
Israel for years avoided officially recognizing the violence as genocide out fear of angering Turkey, but that relationship has soured over the past two decades, especially as the most recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have dragged on.
-
Pandemic bottlenecks, wars, climate shocks and geopolitical tension exposed the fragility of global supply chains.
Noun
-
Being able to work through conflicts can often result in an even stronger bond.
-
China has helped cushion the global oil shock, seen its clean energy tech exports surge and framed the war in Iran as another example in which Chinese leadership could supersede the US in ending global conflicts.
Cite this Entry
“Dogfights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfights. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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