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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

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
  • But this sleekly miserable noir about the aftermath of a feckless man’s confrontation with his wife’s younger lover transports the stuff of archetype into Putin’s Russia.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The viewer could enjoy the confrontation with the reassuring sense that watching served some larger good.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of confrontation
Noun
  • Various polls show the contest is a toss-up, while the nation keeps its attention on this race.
    — Carol Cain, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Most strategists see the race as a toss-up, though Hinson is narrowly leading most recent polls.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of toss-up
Noun
  • This could give Iran additional leverage in its war with the United States.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • On behalf of her contact at the Russian embassy, the defendant sought information on German defense policy and the defense industry, particularly in light of Russia's war on Ukraine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • The new poll from Focaldata/Financial Times, released over Labor Day weekend, shows former Vice President Kamala Harris and current Vice President JD Vance heading for a potential duel in 2028 for the White House.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Harry Coyle, an NBC Sports staff director, cemented his place in sports history with his brainstorm in 1955 that a camera placed just right in center field would better capture a 360-view of the duel between the batter and the pitcher.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 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
  • After coming within one victory of reaching its first World Series last season, Seattle is nearing elimination from playoff contention.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Carson Benge homered for the Mets, eliminated from playoff contention with Monday's 2-1 loss to Baltimore.
    — CBS New York Team, CBS News, 16 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.

Browse Nearby Words

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 17 Sep. 2026.

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