as in battles
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
a healthy rivalry in sports between the two schools
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Recent Examples of rivalries
Despite long-standing rivalries among senior Iranian politicians — many of whom hold powerful political positions and control significant economic resources — these factions quickly set aside their differences and pledged loyalty to him.
—
Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
So many of these issues are driven by issues of governance, economic competition, and various regional rivalries, which sometimes play out through proxy groups.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Instead of bold action, English said, European leaders have quarreled over internal divisions and rivalries.
—Gavin J. Quinton
march 10, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
In a sport constantly thirsting for substantial rivalries, Sabalenka and Osaka represent what might have been.
—Ava Wallace, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is known for its rivalries, but a viral moment between MLB teammates got even spicier after Team USA and Mexico faced off in pool play on Monday night in Houston.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Much like the friendly and respectful competition for playing time that drives goalie tandems, Hynes sees healthy rivalries on his new roster as players work to get noticed and find a spot in the game-night lineup.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026
Mansour, in a December podcast interview, likened his beef with Coplan with one of the most rousing rivalries in NFL history, the face-off between Tom Brady and Eli Manning over football quarterback supremacy.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
With the renewal secured, viewers can look forward to more high-stakes deals, intense rivalries, complicated relationships that have made the show such a standout.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
So many of these issues are driven by issues of governance, economic competition, and various regional rivalries, which sometimes play out through proxy groups.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Instead of bold action, English said, European leaders have quarreled over internal divisions and rivalries.
—Gavin J. Quinton
march 10, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
In a sport constantly thirsting for substantial rivalries, Sabalenka and Osaka represent what might have been.
—Ava Wallace, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is known for its rivalries, but a viral moment between MLB teammates got even spicier after Team USA and Mexico faced off in pool play on Monday night in Houston.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Much like the friendly and respectful competition for playing time that drives goalie tandems, Hynes sees healthy rivalries on his new roster as players work to get noticed and find a spot in the game-night lineup.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026
Mansour, in a December podcast interview, likened his beef with Coplan with one of the most rousing rivalries in NFL history, the face-off between Tom Brady and Eli Manning over football quarterback supremacy.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
With the renewal secured, viewers can look forward to more high-stakes deals, intense rivalries, complicated relationships that have made the show such a standout.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalries
Noun
-
Comfort battles formality fighting to break free.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
For example, one recent night, the room between Cardboard Corner Café and TableTop was set up for Warhammer, where enthusiasts collect, build, and paint miniatures, and fight strategic tabletop battles.—
Debra Skodack,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The president noted that past military conflicts have dogged his predecessors, mentioning former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and Jimmy Carter’s handling of the Iran hostage crisis.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Geopolitical conflicts and economic tensions this year have sparked a new wave of interest in gold as an investment.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In a briefing with reporters earlier, a Meta legal spokesperson said the company didn't believe that youth mental health struggles, both broadly and with Kaley specifically, could be solved through litigation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
-
While the film’s production struggles have come under scrutiny, the trailer gives a taster of the Saudi Arabia’s stunning backdrops as well as its cinema ambitions.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In Dumas’ work, fights and duels and brave assaults on prisons are done grandly, out in the open.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The youngster completed more dribbles (three), won the most duels (six), had the most shots on target (two) and had more touches in the opposition box (nine) than any of his team-mates.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Suddenly the idea of people getting into viral confrontations and talking about Karens and all that was part of the zeitgeist.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
-
To understand how federal agents are using various Department of Homeland Security surveillance tools in real time, NPR collected dozens of accounts — through interviews and court documents — describing confrontations with federal immigration officers in recent months.—
Meg Anderson,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jennings has spent decades capturing breathtaking aerial moments with his camera for extreme sports competitions, Super Bowl commercials, and Hollywood blockbusters.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
-
On Friday, athletes competed in a variety of strength and fitness competitions across several stages.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An administration official would make a claim about what happened, and later evidence would find these contentions to be misleading.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
-
However, the reality is that peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US and Europe are clearly stalled, if at worse dead with many contentions from both sides surrounding security concerns and, importantly, trade sanctions.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But the military outcome and the political outcome are almost never the same thing, and the gap between them is where wars fail.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Linda Bilmes, a Harvard expert on the cost of wars, told me that the United States used up more than 20% of its entire worldwide stockpile of THAAD interceptors last year defending Israel during the 12-day war with Iran.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalries. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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