as in rivalries
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 duels
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Much like the classic Tom Brady-Peyton Manning duels of old, the quarterback matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen — the two current MVP frontrunners — is can’t-miss television.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
Boise State and Fresno State have engaged in some pretty tight duels through the years.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
Miley won eight of his 10 ground duels and one of his three in the air.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Much like the classic Tom Brady-Peyton Manning duels of old, the quarterback matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen — the two current MVP frontrunners — is can’t-miss television.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
Boise State and Fresno State have engaged in some pretty tight duels through the years.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duels
Noun
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Anyone who has followed the devastating violence in California’s prisons knows that gang rivalries trigger a lot of the bloodshed.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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With the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers set to face off in Saturday nights' playoff game, some local couples are hoping love can overcome even the biggest of rivalries.—
Marissa Perlman,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Chris Mara’s involvement in personnel decisions has been reduced in recent years, but his role as an owner is expected to grow as John Mara battles cancer.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Dallasta, 43, battles anxiety, which has worsened with Vesiolko's detention.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
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After more confrontations, she was briefly detained by police.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Jan. 2026
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Television news has always had a different approach to investigative work, attempting to engineer dramatic confrontations between the person or institution under scrutiny and the intrepid reporter.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Eleven finds her way to them, jumping inside the Mind Flayer to destroy Vecna, who’s controlling it from within, while Will fights telepathically from the outside, no longer empathetic or afraid to go toe to toe with his former saboteur.—
Yohana Desta,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2026
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Ucg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Novo Nordisk’s shift from a market darling to a serious underperformer has set the stage for a transitional 2026 as the Danish drugmaker fights to regain investor confidence in its weight loss business.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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De Laurentiis took all the chaos in stride and was the expert judge for the cooking portion of the outrageous lineup of competitions.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Midwest's best winter fests include big-city ice-carving competitions as well as cozy small-town gatherings.—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Last Gift Study, launched in 2017, combats that issue by conducting an autopsy immediately after a patient’s death.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Dec. 2025
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Fit was prioritized on the upper, which combats wrinkles at the toe box and hosts a better lacing system and a new heel sling.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But behind closed doors, the then-couple were facing marital struggles, as Betty claimed in her 2015 memoir, Telling On Myself.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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The struggles of being a parent and the struggles of your child are so understandably private.—
Rosemary Rossi,
Variety,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Miami’s win Thursday improved the ACC’s record to 9-4 in bowl games and dropped the SEC to 2-8 this postseason (playoff and bowl games) in contests not involving two SEC schools.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Carolina is 7-3 in one-score contests.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duels. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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