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
  • 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
  • The German won the men's marathon at the European championships on Sunday morning by a whopping 7 seconds, less than a year after missing out on gold in a photo finish at the world championships in Tokyo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of photo finish
Noun
  • Footage circulating on social media appears to show a confrontation unfolding on the sidelines in the 73rd minute when Bielik was attempting to retrieve a ball that was thrown back into play by a young Portsmouth supporter.
    — Sam Joseph, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Videos of the confrontations got hundreds of thousands of views on social media, a burst of attention for a conservative youth organization that is charting its next chapter after last year’s fatal shooting of its leader Charlie Kirk.
    — Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of confrontation
Noun
  • Recent polls show a toss-up between Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The Cook Political Report recently shifted Texas into its toss-up category, from a race considered to lean Republican.
    — Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of toss-up
Noun
  • Trump on Wednesday said energy prices that have been elevated due to the Iran war will not come down until after the midterm elections, which are due in November.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The senior Iranian official said the country has been rebuilding its military capabilities since the most intense period of the war ended in April and has enough missiles for a lengthy conflict.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • Two duel threat QBs that both struggled early and then balled out in the second half!
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The potential scenario of a Le Pen-Mélenchon second-round duel that polls suggest could end with a Le Pen victory could ultimately prompt some candidates to drop out, to concentrate votes behind mainstream alternatives.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of duel
Noun
  • The free meals program aims to combat malnutrition and reduce childhood stunting by providing meals to nearly 90 million students, toddlers and pregnant women.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • It is intended to provide Kadena with a more capable and adaptable combat aircraft while sustaining the base’s ability to generate ready airpower in a strategically important region.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of combat
Noun
  • The Falcons’ season begins this weekend; one that most are considering an evaluation year with an outside chance at playoff contention in a weak division.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • No journey from a rebuild into a contention window happens without hardship.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 9 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 10 Sep. 2026.

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