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horse race

noun

Definition of horse racenext
1
as in ball game

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in photo finish

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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
  • Deputies found the firearm allegedly used during the earlier confrontation inside the bedroom.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Xi linked military communication to his broader call to avoid confrontation between the two countries.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of confrontation
Noun
  • The race is considered a toss-up by various organizations that rate political contests across the country.
    — Jack Fink, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Democratic challengers had more cash than Republican incumbents in both Iowa toss-up races and two of Pennsylvania’s three.
    — Luke Fountain,Gabriel Cortés, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of toss-up
Noun
  • The diplomatic push comes as physical supply data shows the war’s toll on the oil market easing.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • That deal seeks to temporarily manage shipping traffic on what was seen as an international waterway before the war.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • 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
  • Othani, who has won four MVP awards in five seasons, including one with the Los Angeles Angels, was considered the MVP front-runner most of the season, until the duel in the sun changed things.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of duel
Noun
  • The African Union estimated that conflict resulted in around 600,000 deaths from combat, famine and the collapse of healthcare.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The new initiative will focus on physical AI, robotics and autonomous systems, with applications ranging from logistics and reconnaissance to mine operations and combat.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of combat
Noun
  • Thanks to a 15-game winning streak around the All-Star Break, the Red Sox vaulted back into contention.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Marlins overall went 80-82 — a one-win improvement over last season but still eight games out of contention for a bid to the postseason.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 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.

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horsepower
horse race
horse races
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Cite this Entry

“Horse race.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20race. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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