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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Recent Examples of duel
Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Al Hilal, which matched up against Real Madrid for the first time since losing to them, 5-3, in the 2023 Club World Cup Final, dueled for nearly 90 minutes to the one goal apiece stalemate before nearly seeing its efforts go to waste.
—Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Pitchers Danny Wallace and Ryan Papa combined to allow just one run on six hits in the duel with Wunsch.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for duel
Noun
Her parents had dueling ambitions for their daughter.
—Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Al Hilal, which matched up against Real Madrid for the first time since losing to them, 5-3, in the 2023 Club World Cup Final, dueled for nearly 90 minutes to the one goal apiece stalemate before nearly seeing its efforts go to waste.
—Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025
Verb
Here, Koulibaly chips the ball towards Lodi… … and Alexander-Arnold is in position to contest the aerial duel.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Pitchers Danny Wallace and Ryan Papa combined to allow just one run on six hits in the duel with Wunsch.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for duel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duel
Noun
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There’s been a lot of change in college football in recent years, but rivalries still form the foundation of the sport for so many fans.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
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Adding an element of controversy to what’s been an unusually friendly title rivalry, Piastri even suggested that if McLaren thought the call was unfair, the team could ask him and Norris to swap places to cancel the effect of the penalty.—
James Ellingworth,
Denver Post,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at rolling back DEI initiatives, with one of them including directives for federal agencies to combat DEI in the private sector.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
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Since Schill’s last testimony, Walberg said, congressional leaders have not received any documentation or updates on the university’s efforts to combat antisemitism.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Potter faces a battle to restore optimism among the fanbase.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
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Dorsey notably supported Kendrick Lamar during the high-profile rap battle between Kendrick and Drake last year, prompting fans to speculate that his apparent stance may have been influenced by Rooks’ connection to the Canadian rapper.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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The team is also fighting injuries within the starting rotation.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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In 2024, Baumgardner and Delfine Persoon fought to a no contest.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Even the quiet, eyebrow-raising final moments, which suggest that the struggle for economic justice and equality might be utterly pointless, feel less like a philosophy and more like a real-life capitalist desire for more, more, more.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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The struggle was so real that Reynolds unveiled a special musical production for McElhenney's birthday devoted to teaching fans the pronunciation of his costar's last name, enlisting the help of some of his famous friends as well as members of the club's hometown.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Abrego Garcia denies being a member of the gang and contends the charges don’t justify holding him in jail.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
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After winning six of their final seven games to close out 2024, the Horned Frogs are expecting to contend for a Big 12 title and a college football playoff berth, but TCU’s schedule is brutal.—
Steven Johnson
July 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Their manager, Sarina Wiegman, has an extraordinary record in this competition, having won it with both the Netherlands and England.—
Darren Richman,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
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This year, Ryan Reynolds also got in on the action, starring in an ad that aired multiple times during the Nathan’s competition on ESPN2.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Video of the meeting showed the confrontation began during a confusing moment in the session.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2025
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See footage of Trey Songz’s viral confrontation below.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Duel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duel. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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