1
as in equivalent
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
a design that is a rival to any produced by a professional graphic artist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in opponent
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
the boxer's toughest rival thus far
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in competitor
one who strives for the same thing as another
the four cities that are the top rivals for the site of the next Olympic Games
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in competitive
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rival
Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026
Soon, even calling them rivals felt aspirational.
—Zohran Mamdani, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Sydney Barragan, Daily News, 6 June 2026
The news put Anthropic ahead of rival OpenAI, which is readying plans for a public market listing.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 6 June 2026
Erin Tan, NBC news, 3 June 2026
The environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world's largest countries, according to a United Nations University report, which also predicts their water and energy use and pollution will double in just four years as use of artificial intelligence grows.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rival
Noun
Season one teases the turmoil ahead, after Dean finds out that Allie has slept with his very own (heated) rival, Hunter (Charlie Evans).
—Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026
Soon, even calling them rivals felt aspirational.
—Zohran Mamdani, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Adjective
In one case, prosecutors said, Velasquez authorized the killing of a man accused of painting the graffiti of a rival gang.
—Sydney Barragan, Daily News, 6 June 2026
The news put Anthropic ahead of rival OpenAI, which is readying plans for a public market listing.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 6 June 2026
Verb
Last year, a university in southern China launched a specialized barbecue school to train grilling experts for the booming night food economy, enrolling only 30 students from more than 4,000 applicants — an acceptance ratio that rivals those of some of China’s most elite university programs.
—Erin Tan, NBC news, 3 June 2026
The environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world's largest countries, according to a United Nations University report, which also predicts their water and energy use and pollution will double in just four years as use of artificial intelligence grows.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rival
Noun
-
The film is currently at a hefty 27% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, which, for a Scary Movie film, is arguably the equivalent of a Cannes standing ovation.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
That even applies to Sgr A*, which exists on a diet of gas and dust so meager For a human, the equivalent would be consuming one grain of rice every million years.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Some opponents attacked his moderate views and his willingness to accept campaign donations from big oil companies like Chevron.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
Sand, who was unopposed on the primary ballot, learned who his opponent would be after Tuesday’s primary settled an unpredictable five-way Republican contest.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Selective non-prosecution of antitrust cases will lead to anticompetitive mergers, collusion between competitors, and monopoly abuses.—
Andrew Flanagan,
Variety,
8 June 2026
-
The California smartphone maker has lagged behind its competitors in the AI race as tech companies pour hundreds of billions of dollars into advancing their chatbots and investing in data centers and other infrastructure.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
And while the club has remained competitive for much of the year so far, several key hitters have endured slumps that aren’t helping the lineup meet expectations.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Republicans have already begun deploying that argument against Democratic candidates in some of the country’s most competitive races.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Born in 1907, Carson came of age in a world of increasingly complex and competing attitudes toward nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Their mother, Regina Rajchrtová, is a former professional tennis player who competed for Czechoslovakia in the 1988 Summer Olympics.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The female gaze Few women photographed Monroe, and there’s a stark contrast between Arnold’s naturalistic, candid style and the more flirtatious interplay of her male counterparts.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
Copper cables, pioneered over 180 years ago by Samuel Morse, often hang next to their modern counterparts, fiber optic lines.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
These are mostly just for show and style points though, as Lobo is capable of taking down almost any foe with his bare hands.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
-
The Noises had to face Shoreline Conference foe Coginchaug, the 21st seed, for the fourth time in a Class S softball quarterfinal game.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
The Braves had Cy Young contender Chris Sale on the mound.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
5 June 2026
-
Mike Tirico, Jamal Crawford, and Reggie Miller discusses why San Antonio could be a contender for years to come, highlighting Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs' chemistry and its long-term outlook.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rival. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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