DUEL Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

duel 1 of 2

noun

ˈdü-əl

Definition of duel

as in rivalry

an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another a duel for the title of captain of the team

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

duel

2 of 2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of duel

Noun

The anticipated pitchers' duel between Yamamoto and Henderson didn't work out according to plan. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 The Brewers defended home turf in Game 1 of the NLCS, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–1 in a tight pitching duel. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Verb

For months, Uber and lawyers from across the state poured tens of millions into dueling ballot measures that threatened to devastate the profits of whichever side lost. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 The final day of Georgia’s marquee Republican runoffs ended Monday with dueling endorsements and a barrage of campaign stops stretching from the coast to the Tennessee line. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for duel

Recent Examples of Synonyms for duel

Noun

The dispute also revives a bitter rivalry with Placer County Supervisor Shanti Landon, who defeated Andreatta in the June primary.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
This season sees the historic rivalry move to Atlanta for the first time in series history.

— Connor Riley, AJC.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Verb

Widespread phage therapy could help combat antibiotic resistance.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 30 Oct. 2026
Born in Palestine but displaced to Egypt as a child because of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the righteous but mild-mannered Odeh dedicated his adult life to combating discrimination against his people in America.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of combat

Noun

The leader, facing a tough re-election battle, has focused much of his campaign ahead of Tuesday’s vote on security.

— Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
By focusing on the battles fought in luxury department stores, fashion shows, high-end spas, nail salons, and the home, the film illustrated just how limited even privileged women’s options were.

— Raymond Ang, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of battle

Verb

Spouses already made financially vulnerable by years of relocations can be left navigating unfamiliar courts, hiring lawyers in two countries and fighting simply to bring their children home.

— Brianna Keilar, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Brooke’s healing journey Luther, whose daughter Oakley is almost 3 years old now, has been fighting to not let her injuries define her.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of fight

Noun

The journey from the theatrical release to The Final Cut, opening on the twenty‑fifth anniversary of the film in 2007, is akin to the struggle of historians to set the record straight.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
For a team that did not shy away from its Super Bowl expectations during training camp, this is the Cowboys’ chance to prove that the early season struggles were an outlier and that the plan is still in motion.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggle

Verb

Trump has used the campaign trail to defend the Iran war, contending Tehran’s regime cannot have a nuclear weapon.

— Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2026
The students challenge that interpretation, contending that the university has not established that their individual statements constituted legally unprotected threats or caused the level of disruption required to justify punishment.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of contend

Noun

In the luxury market, lines like Seabourn (with its first expedition vessel, Seabourn Venture) and Scenic are the main competition for all-suite accommodations.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
Its upcoming industry competition should provide a clearer picture of the technologies developers can bring to the program.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of competition

Verb

Grown men clock in to work to wrestle in the sand with their friends, bond closely with their horses, and film thirst traps for social media on their lunch breaks.

— Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
But Le Mindu is hardly the only designer to have confronted his own fears of death through fashion—designers have long used this medium to wrestle with what is paradoxically both life’s only guarantee and one of its greatest mysteries.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrestle

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due

duel

dueled

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“Duel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duel. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of duel

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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