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
Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
This should also be a great quarterback duel between Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and redshirt junior Ty Simpson.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
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
Much in the same way Sunday’s stellar finish against Manchester United was overshadowed by the visitors’ swift response, his killer goals in Newcastle may be forgotten in the chaotic memories of this duel.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
This should also be a great quarterback duel between Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and redshirt junior Ty Simpson.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
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
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After sending the cheeseheads packing with the biggest playoff comeback in franchise history, Ben Johnson spiced up the rivalry with some salty language.—
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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As interbranch rivalry morphed into systemic partisan competition, a judiciary dominated by Republican appointees began consolidating its authority at Congress’s expense.—
Duncan Hosie,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The metro district advised their residents via email that their system wasn't broken, but rather was being used to combat the dry season.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Shares in those and other Japanese corporations are on a tear as Japan’s central bank raises rates to combat inflation after years of deflation.—
John Hyatt,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This week, documents released amid the ongoing legal battle between Lively and Baldoni included a series of texts between Lively and Swift.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
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The legal battles and war of words between local and federal officials have mirrored the contentious scene on the ground in the state.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For instance, Schultz has steadfastly fought against performing blood transfusions in the field, despite the federal government’s offer of billions of dollars in grants to pay for them.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
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The Skippers kept fighting, using a 7-0 run to take a 57-55 lead with two minutes to go.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His struggles are hurting the Broncos in the biggest moments, too.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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After all, there are signs that the economy is improving (unemployment and inflation are declining), but after the economic struggles of recent years, and with household debt still high, an additional financing source won't hurt, either.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Paramount will likely contend that overly conservative—or overly optimistic—assumptions about refinancing costs, interest rates, and cash flow could skew the board’s judgment about what constitutes fair value.—
Corey Martin,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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In the Lambden case, a homeowner contended that the board pursued the wrong response to termite problems and sued the HOA.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As investors navigate a landscape shaped by economic uncertainty, rising scrutiny, and tough competition for standout startups, decoding what ‘investment-readiness’ truly means has become as critical as the funding itself for founders hoping to raise capital.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The process of signing up clients is already competitive enough, and the agency itself works best as a place of collaboration and mutual support, not internal competition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Frey said an incident Friday night that led to property damage at an area hotel and confrontation with police officers was an outlier to the largely peaceful events in recent days.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
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Ross argued that allowing local police to provide basic crowd control — rather than restricting coordination — could have reduced risks during recent confrontations.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duel. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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