rivaling 1 of 2

variants or rivalling
Definition of rivalingnext

rivaling

2 of 2

verb

variants or rivalling
present participle of rival
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

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.
Recent Examples of rivaling
Verb
The Gulf Cooperation Council has pumped more than $100 billion into Africa over the last decade across energy, ports, logistics, and tech, dwarfing the US and rivalling Europe. semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026 Some world leaders are worried this potential narrative could lead to the board rivaling or sidelining the United Nations. Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Feb. 2026 That splurge — rivaling the costliest human endeavors in history — is borne out of ambitions to outdo their giant rivals in a field that could determine their futures. Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026 The poster for Godard’s film is a masterpiece, rivalling the clarity of the movie. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026 That splurge — rivaling the costliest human endeavors in history — is borne out of ambitions to outdo their giant rivals in a field that could determine their futures. Debby Wu, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026 Ten states representing 100 million Americans could create a surveillance network rivaling what the CDC provided. Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Feb. 2026 This is reflected in the local real estate market; Charlotte consistently ranks in the top three nationally for office leasing and absorption, rivaling much larger hubs like New York and Dallas. Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026 Trump decided to preach fire and brimstone at the normally bipartisan and staid National Prayer Breakfast — rivaling his performance at Davos recently. Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivaling
Adjective
  • HostArmada is an excellent web host for individual creators and small businesses looking for competitive plans that won't break the bank.
    Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Student in highly competitive high school learns that focusing on arts plus taking only one AP class equals an object of ridicule.
    Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Only when Russia and Belarus, separately, took FIS (the international ski and snowboard federation) to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in December 2025, did their competing in Italy become possible.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The researchers are now testing the process on real battery waste and more complex electronic scrap streams containing additional competing ions and lower metal concentrations.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • But there’s something equally pleasurable—and more rare—about a play that pulls off the opposite trick, that revels in the way family members can love one another, can stay connected and build instead of destroying, even amid loss and uncertainty.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The reason for this is that, unlike everyday magnets, neighboring magnetic moments in antiferromagnets point in opposite directions and cancel each other out.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But unlike many of their other losses to playoff-contending teams, the Lakers answered Denver’s run.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
  • On a Stanley Cup-contending team, he’s best served as a third-line driver.
    Harman Dayal, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Elward said Traynere was using the email to gain a political advantage and learn what members of the opposing party were thinking.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
  • In the game, when a player kills multiple opponents without also dying, they are rewarded with the ability to conduct a missile strike to exterminate an opposing team.
    Casey Ryan Kelly, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rivaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivaling. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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