horse race

noun

Definition of horse racenext
1
as in ball game

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in photo finish

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse race
  1. ball game
  2. photo finish
  3. confrontation
  4. toss-up
  5. war
  6. duel
  7. combat
  8. contention
Noun
  • If Britney Spears can hire ghostwriters to help turn her partial memories into polished prose, why does asking ChatGPT to do the same thing feel like a whole other ball game?
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Log temples atop the mounds overlooked wide plazas for ball games, ceremonies, and open-air markets.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of ball game
Noun
  • The 29-year-old Lyles won gold in the 100 at Paris in a photo finish, narrowly edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and becoming the first American man to win the Olympic sprint since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
    — Zack Pierce, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This time the 11-10 favorite found himself on the wrong side of a five-horse photo finish.
    — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of photo finish
Noun
  • The cause of their displeasure has to do with scenes woven throughout that illustrate how Baldwin got his reputation for angry outbursts – confrontations with paparazzi through the years, for instance.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Rodan-Benzaquen argued that intensifying political confrontation could help Mélenchon consolidate his support among younger voters and immigrant communities, while portraying the far right as an increasingly serious threat.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of confrontation
Noun
  • The Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, where 19% of residents are young, is one of several toss-up races in the state.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The battleground race’s general election between el Sayed and Rogers is a virtual toss-up, one of several neck-and-neck contests across the Senate map that could influence whether Republicans maintain the majority.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of toss-up
Noun
  • Montanans are suffocating due to an affordability crisis, rising fuel prices and an inexplicable war.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • On Monday, Zelenskyy said holding elections in Ukraine was impossible during war time, especially with new Russian tactics involving attacks day and night.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • 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
  • And in the second half, the game turned into a duel between standout QBs each making his sixth college start.
    — PJ Green September 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of duel
Noun
  • David Ayer’s thriller stars Brad Pitt as a Special Forces officer navigating the wilderness with his combat dog.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Ties between the two countries remain strained over their long-running Himalayan border dispute, which erupted into a deadly skirmishes in 2020 that saw soldiers from both sides use rocks and iron rods in brutal hand-to-hand combat.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of combat
Noun
  • As Florida continues its ascent back into the image of CFP contention, its ability to focus on the next test was the new challenge.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But — like the announcement of the city’s bounce from Olympic contention — the festival fizzled.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of contention
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.

Browse Nearby Words

horsepower
horse race
horse races
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horse race.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20race. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abscond

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All