horse race

noun

Definition of horse racenext
1
as in ball game

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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
  • Briscoe held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell to win his second straight NASCAR playoff race in a photo finish on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, vaulting him into contention to earn his first Cup Series championship.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • But these data don't suggest a photo finish on the initiative come November so much as a rout.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of photo finish
Noun
  • Last year, a Senatobia officer threatened a Black woman with a Taser, pulling her from her car and onto the ground and arresting her during a confrontation over an accessible parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.
    — SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The danger is that Ethiopia’s internal fighting, its confrontation with Eritrea and regional disputes over ports and water could fuel one another.
    — KHALED KAZZIHA, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of confrontation
Noun
  • Leading national election forecasters have classified the Kansas Senate contest as a toss-up.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This open seat — which the Cook Political Report now considers a toss-up — was ranked likely Republican just weeks ago.
    — Anna Liss-Roy, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of toss-up
Noun
  • The ongoing war in Iran has centered on nuclear issues, including enrichment—Iranian officials have resisted any peace-deal terms that restrict the country’s enrichment program.
    — Nick Bockelman, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Lessons from the smartphone wars Zuckerberg’s push to own the full stack may stem from his nearly two-decade rivalry with Apple and Google, which control the world’s dominant smartphone platforms.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • Snell opened the seventh by walking Andrew Vaughn and losing an 11-pitch duel to Bauers, who won the battle with a two-run homer.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The anticipated pitchers' duel between Yamamoto and Henderson didn't work out according to plan.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of duel
Noun
  • This can include missions like delivering combat divers into contested regions.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • After a dramatic, fiery takeoff, Airbus's U740-Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft completed its maiden flight on October 12, 2026, in the skies over Northern Europe as part of a program to provide Europe with its own autonomous Loyal Wingman.
    — David Szondy October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of combat
Noun
  • One matter of strong contention is Lee's opposition to the war in Gaza and her condemnation of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Those contentions — and Bartell’s claim of a second list of 17,000 potential noncitizen voters — only add to an already heated debate about the scope of the inquiry and its legitimacy.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 20 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.

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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 23 Oct. 2026.

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