variants
or rivalling
as in competitive
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Dissimilar Words
variants
or rivalling
as in competing
to engage in a contest
two longtime friends who have rivaled for the same things at every stage of their lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rivaling
Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
Sennheiser's headphones are some of the best in the game, rivaling those of Sony and Bose.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
According to the Philadelphia Visitor Center, about 4 million people visit the steps each year — rivaling the nearby Liberty Bell in annual foot traffic.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
An analysis of fossil jaws belonging to octopuses that lived between 100 million and 72 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period, shows that these creatures may have been the largest animals in the sea and smart to boot, rivaling sharks and marine reptiles in their powers of predation.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
The Philadelphia Phillies are rivaling the New York Mets in more ways than one.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The neighborhood was considered one of the best music scenes in the South, rivaling Memphis’s Beale Street and New Orleans’s Bourbon Street, with packed nightclubs blaring jazz, soul, R&B, and blues lining the strip.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 20 Apr. 2026
This provides the alloy with much improved corrosion resistance, even rivalling stainless steel.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
The adjoining dining room isn’t just a place to eat but a grand stage for culinary theatrics—its scale rivaling that of a banquet hall in a boutique hotel.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Mornings were msemen, eggs, and pastries that somehow kept replenishing themselves; evenings were tagine and zaalouk, all of it rivaling the best restaurants in the city.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
Sennheiser's headphones are some of the best in the game, rivaling those of Sony and Bose.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
According to the Philadelphia Visitor Center, about 4 million people visit the steps each year — rivaling the nearby Liberty Bell in annual foot traffic.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
An analysis of fossil jaws belonging to octopuses that lived between 100 million and 72 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period, shows that these creatures may have been the largest animals in the sea and smart to boot, rivaling sharks and marine reptiles in their powers of predation.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
The Philadelphia Phillies are rivaling the New York Mets in more ways than one.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The neighborhood was considered one of the best music scenes in the South, rivaling Memphis’s Beale Street and New Orleans’s Bourbon Street, with packed nightclubs blaring jazz, soul, R&B, and blues lining the strip.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 20 Apr. 2026
This provides the alloy with much improved corrosion resistance, even rivalling stainless steel.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
The adjoining dining room isn’t just a place to eat but a grand stage for culinary theatrics—its scale rivaling that of a banquet hall in a boutique hotel.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivaling
Adjective
-
Outside the venue, the earlier rally led by former NCAA athlete Sophia Lorey focused on fairness and competitive balance in girls’ sports.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
But there are some important factors that could lower their ceiling, namely depressed enthusiasm with some key groups, the fact that there are fewer competitive districts than ever before and the state of the redistricting battle.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Second, colleges and conferences are competing businesses that use NCAA rules to limit how each can compete for college athletes’ services.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
6 May 2026
-
Ballard, who started two games in 2023 after arriving as a walk-on, and Marshall, a dual-threat who led his Michigan high school to a state championship, are stylistically different but close friends competing for the top job.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Supreme Court may be more likely to bite if federal appeals courts draw opposite conclusions.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
-
Bond yields, or interest rates, move in the opposite direction of prices.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The government is citing legal technicalities and contending the law does not define how a commission should be fairly balanced or whose viewpoints should be represented.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
-
In addition to contending federal law overrides state statutes like the sanctuary law, the institute is taking a novel legal tack, according to Alex Riggins of the Union-Tribune.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Osula repeatedly got the better of his opposing centre-backs, most notably dummying Oliver Boscagli on the halfway line before sprinting into the box and shooting wide.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
When the opposing party is in power, oversight can become more about political messaging than effective accountability.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivaling. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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