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
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
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
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
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
-
The narrative tracks Maurício (Reymond), a retired player striving to establish a new career as an agent in the aggressive football business while managing industry rivalries, family tensions, and the legacy of his past disappointments.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
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The diary was still treated primarily as evidence of motive, evidence about the boys, their rivalries, their jealousy, their emotional states.—
Kate Casey,
Vanity Fair,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Staal’s still elite at winning defensive zone puck battles, which helps tee up Ehlers to play to his strengths and gives the Canes an all-three-zone impact in their minutes that has added up to a 66 percent xG rate.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
Calvert shares similar views and has survived an ethics complaint and two previous redistricting battles during his 33 years in Congress.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Strength in duels – ground and aerial.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
LaBonta completed 23 of 29 passes from the middle of the park, put in four tackles, made two interceptions and two ball recoveries, and won five of her eight duels with players, all while avoiding committing a single foul.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Ohtani was back to a full starter’s workload for the first time since 2023, even mentioning fatigue in his postgame interview after his second start of the season, and before games was working to address his offensive struggles.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in the loss but downplayed any worries about the team’s struggles after the game.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Multiple reports had been filed against Chow after other confrontations with customers, officials previously said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
The confrontations result in wild, libidinous killing.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Pressure is a privilege and, in our case, the players took those competitions seriously.—
Zach McMahon,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
The 23-year-old has performed when called upon in the cup competitions and was expected, before Donnarumma’s sudden arrival, to compete to be a starting Premier League goalkeeper.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Madonna has made music through various calamities that at the time felt world-ending — wars, political unrest, financial collapse — so the terrors of 2026 don’t seem to faze her.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
The secret ingredient in sweets, sodas and cosmetics is entangled in one of the world’s deadliest and least-noticed wars.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The chain of islands has become critical to Japan’s defense in the event of armed conflicts between China and Taiwan.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
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During a Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority meeting in March, that officer, Eric Osnes, said his team now studies footage of assaults on drivers to learn lessons that may mitigate future conflicts.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dogfights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfights. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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