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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Recent Examples of duels
Pol Ballús, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2026
In Dumas’ work, fights and duels and brave assaults on prisons are done grandly, out in the open.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
This traces, in part, to those practice duels with Marciulionis, whose patience and persistence through two bumpy seasons ultimately yielded two highly productive seasons.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2026
Physical, mobile defender who excels in 1v1 duels and recovery defending.
—Abraham Nudelstejer, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Canada has won four of the six Olympics championship duels with its southern neighbors, with the 2006 victory giving the country five overall Olympic women’s hockey golds.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
But landing big jumps in competition, when adrenaline duels with cortisol, is more difficult.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
Cassidy, winner of five of the last eight races going back to last season, lost in the duels quarterfinals to De Vries.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
Barcelona’s attacking production right now relies heavily on the 18-year-old, who last night led the team in duels (16), successful take-ons (eight), possessions won (eight), fouls won (six) and chances created (three).
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2026
In Dumas’ work, fights and duels and brave assaults on prisons are done grandly, out in the open.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
This traces, in part, to those practice duels with Marciulionis, whose patience and persistence through two bumpy seasons ultimately yielded two highly productive seasons.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2026
Physical, mobile defender who excels in 1v1 duels and recovery defending.
—Abraham Nudelstejer, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Canada has won four of the six Olympics championship duels with its southern neighbors, with the 2006 victory giving the country five overall Olympic women’s hockey golds.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
But landing big jumps in competition, when adrenaline duels with cortisol, is more difficult.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
Cassidy, winner of five of the last eight races going back to last season, lost in the duels quarterfinals to De Vries.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duels
Noun
-
Timoja had been misinformed that the ruler of Goa, Yusuf Adil Shah, had died, leaving behind a young and inexperienced successor, and that internal rivalries among Deccan rulers had further weakened Goa.—
Sanat Pai RaikarAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Apr. 2026
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But there were also rivalries — and who got to control a bigger share of the work was hotly contested.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Barred from his high school basketball team due to his temper, a hot-head, street-baller battles demons from his past and present to earn a spot on a summer league team and his last shot at a college basketball scholarship.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Beth, who is voiced by Sarah Chalke, asks dad Rick (Ian Cardoni) in the footage as the family battles a beast comprised of couch cushions.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Later confrontations with Hezbollah in 2006 saw Kfar Chouba completely destroyed.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
His populist rhetoric and attempts to build an independent political base led to confrontations with clerical authorities in the early 2010s.—
Roxane Razavi,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Revisiting elections in Georgia and Arizona, too California isn't the only place where fights − and investigations − over ballot counting are taking place.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Blaydes fights Josh Hokit on the main card of UFC 327 on April 11 in Miami.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The professional darts player and reigning Dutch champion, 29, shared an emotional goodbye message to her sport after the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) ruled that transgender women will not be able to compete in women's competitions on Thursday, April 9.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
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The show includes floral arranging competitions, horticulture displays, demonstrations and lectures along with entertainment, beer and wine garden and shopping along with a Homefront competition that recognizes outstanding gardens of local homes and businesses.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The best weed-and-feed product combats the weed population in your lawn and meets the fertilizer needs of your turf.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Mix cinnamon with warm water to create a spray that combats fungal issues and discourages pests from returning.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Meta suggested that Kaley’s mental-health struggles were attributable not to social-media addiction but, rather, to her mother’s emotional and physical abuse and neglect, and that Kaley’s social-media use was not the source of her troubles but a way to cope with them.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
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The mayor last December went on to lose a historic budget vote, in what one ally declared was a return of the 1980s Council Wars – a reference to the struggles of former Mayor Harold Washington.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Curry had played the previous two contests in his return from a 27-game absence spanning two-plus months because of a right knee injury.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
These super PACs also targeted state-level races and will likely soon make their way to the upcoming municipal contests.—
Delia Ramirez,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duels. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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