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
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 29 May 2026
LaBonta completed 23 of 29 passes from the middle of the park, put in four tackles, made two interceptions and two ball recoveries, and won five of her eight duels with players, all while avoiding committing a single foul.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Players have different areas of trivia expertise and challenge each other in head-to-head in duels.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
Engage in precise sword duels and stealthy takedowns.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
Dozens of onboard cameras capture the action during tight high-speed duels, while sensors stream more than 35,000 data points per second to onshore coaches.
—G.w. Allen, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
Strength in duels – ground and aerial.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 29 May 2026
LaBonta completed 23 of 29 passes from the middle of the park, put in four tackles, made two interceptions and two ball recoveries, and won five of her eight duels with players, all while avoiding committing a single foul.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Players have different areas of trivia expertise and challenge each other in head-to-head in duels.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
Engage in precise sword duels and stealthy takedowns.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
Dozens of onboard cameras capture the action during tight high-speed duels, while sensors stream more than 35,000 data points per second to onshore coaches.
—G.w. Allen, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duels
Noun
-
The narrative tracks Maurício (Reymond), a retired player striving to establish a new career as an agent in the aggressive football business while managing industry rivalries, family tensions, and the legacy of his past disappointments.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
-
The diary was still treated primarily as evidence of motive, evidence about the boys, their rivalries, their jealousy, their emotional states.—
Kate Casey,
Vanity Fair,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
She is left to care for her partner’s elderly mom who battles Parkinson’s and dementia.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
28 May 2026
-
An introverted young boxer with incredible ability and skill who battles to overcome low confidence, high anxiety and stage fright in pursuit of her potential.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Multiple reports had been filed against Chow after other confrontations with customers, officials previously said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
The confrontations result in wild, libidinous killing.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The welcome is relaxed and warm while the flamboyant decor fights to charm you.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
An Army official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said soldiers who were fans of UFC fights and who meet Army standards were given a preference, which the official said is standard practice for such events.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Pressure is a privilege and, in our case, the players took those competitions seriously.—
Zach McMahon,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
The 23-year-old has performed when called upon in the cup competitions and was expected, before Donnarumma’s sudden arrival, to compete to be a starting Premier League goalkeeper.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Saturday’s blaze comes as the city combats a massive increase in fatal fires this year.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
-
Avoiding posts on social media is the way DePaul student Loughman combats her health anxiety.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Ohtani was back to a full starter’s workload for the first time since 2023, even mentioning fatigue in his postgame interview after his second start of the season, and before games was working to address his offensive struggles.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in the loss but downplayed any worries about the team’s struggles after the game.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
While much of the attention heading into Tuesday’s election has focused on the Los Angeles mayoral race, voters will also decide several lower-profile but influential city contests that could decide how City Hall handles legal matters, financial oversight and public spending.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
Three of seven Board of Education seats are on the ballot Tuesday in comparatively low-spending contests with incumbents as overwhelming favorites.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duels. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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