as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
a duel for the title of captain of the team
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of duel
Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
Bernal would also provide a more physical presence in duels.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2025
The dueling Senate votes are the latest political messaging exercise in a Congress that has operated almost entirely on partisan terms, as Republicans pushed through a massive tax and spending cuts bill this summer using budget maneuvers that eliminated the need for Democratic votes.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for duel
Noun
Walmart and Amazon have been locked in a duel for global retail supremacy for years.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
Bernal would also provide a more physical presence in duels.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Senate already rejected a clean three-year extension of the subsidies in a pair of dueling health care votes last week, though several Republican senators crossed the aisle to join all Democrats in supporting it.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2025
The dueling Senate votes are the latest political messaging exercise in a Congress that has operated almost entirely on partisan terms, as Republicans pushed through a massive tax and spending cuts bill this summer using budget maneuvers that eliminated the need for Democratic votes.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for duel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duel
Noun
-
Does this sort of thing not allow narratives to develop, rivalries to grow, entertaining animus to fester?—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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The heated rivalry between the Pentagon and Anthropic just hit a new horizon Friday.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Officers were tasked with combating what officials said was a rise in thefts, people spending money obtained by defrauding the state’s unemployment system and quality of life issues like loud music and the smell of marijuana drifting into stores, according to a 2021 Times investigation.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Shimmick said his department has tried to address these concerns last summer using the fire department’s boat to combat these issues and that effort has resulted in 600 citations and 175 arrests.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Calamia won that battle — and then won first place in the race days later.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Former President Barack Obama is promoting a Democratic effort to redraw congressional lines in Virginia, the latest front in a nationwide redistricting battle ahead of this year's midterm elections.—
MEG KINNARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The designation, which Anthropic will fight in court, could become a serious problem for the startup, which earns its revenue through enterprise software sales to companies that might currently or one day want to work with the military in some capacity.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
28 Feb. 2026
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Prosecutors are fighting to prevent Cox from being able to cross examine witnesses.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The decline of perks, on top of teachers’ financial struggles, may be contributing to burnout at public schools.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The struggle of this transit is patience — or the lack thereof.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Broward is the bluest county in the state, though DeNapoli contends his city is more supportive of the president than the rest of the county.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
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The lawsuit contends the district’s approach crosses a legal line.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As job cuts pile up, Tinner is up against intense competition in a job market flooded with talent from the top companies in tech.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The launch comes as competition in China’s electric vehicle market intensifies, and manufacturers search for new technologies to attract buyers.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Police who investigated the shooting said Randall and another man argued before the confrontation escalated into gunfire.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
1 Mar. 2026
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At least nine people were killed in confrontations with security forces.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duel. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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