RIVALRIES Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

rivalries

noun

plural of rivalry

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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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 rivalries At a time when the news cycle seems to serve up nothing but conflict, crisis and woe, the World Cup offers shelter, a truly international event in which conflict is defined by long-term sports rivalries and questionable referee decisions. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The Golden State Warriors are reportedly looking to pair James with Stephen Curry, which would turn one of the NBA's greatest rivalries into two of the game's greatest stars fighting for their fifth title together. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 Despite global tech fragmentation and rivalries, major powers are surprisingly converging on addressing AI's most catastrophic risks. — Mark Minevich, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Those rivalries, bravado and score-settling led to the carnage, Ng argued Monday. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2026 The arrests are likely to have ripple effects across Iraq’s fractured political landscape, where accusations of corruption frequently intersect with rivalries over power and influence. — ABC News, 28 June 2026 At the same time, disagreements among friends may expose rivalries, mixed loyalties or gossip that has been circulating beneath the surface. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 First, the worst conference changes hadn’t struck yet, and some of the rivalries torn apart by previous realignments were even getting back together. — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 23 June 2026 Corporate rivals fund opposing super PACs The Bores contest is the most visible arena in which the AI sector's intramural rivalries are spilling into politics. — Eric McDaniel, NPR, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalries

Noun

By the time Apple wins its lawsuit against OpenAI, the decisive battles in the war might already be over.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 11 July 2026
Against Brazil, Solbakken’s side worked hard to leave their physically intimidating centre-forwards in one-on-one battles for long passes in behind.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Definition of battles

Noun

Small commercial and military drones have become increasingly common in recent conflicts, performing reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack missions.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026
Painful conflicts with family over Israel are common The survey finds that rifts are springing up within families and communities over Israel, even among religiously unaffiliated Jews.

— David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of conflicts

Noun

Through speeches, chants and signs, demonstrators drew a line between the struggles local facility employees face and those carried by farmworkers in the Philippines.

— Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
DeGrom suffered first-inning struggles before settling in, his pattern this season.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

As with many Latin American and African teams, Paraguay defend deep and are extremely physical in duels and aerial battles.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026
On Wednesday, Tillman won nine duels — the most of anyone who played on either side — and had five dangerous interceptions, a metric used in soccer that accounts for stopping an attack.

— Darren Sabedra, Mercury News, 2 July 2026

Definition of duels

Noun

Corona Centennial, which doesn’t usually perform well in passing competitions (the Huskies like to let their running game set up the pass), started the morning 4-0 and didn’t lose until its final game.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
For many teams, however, time was limited by players arriving late from club competitions, creating a delicate balance between adapting sufficiently while still reaching the tournament physically and mentally fresh.

— Alan McCall, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Definition of competitions

Noun

At the time, Sackler offered no response to these contentions.

— Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
Nowhere is this reconciliation more evident than in the enduring contentions surrounding France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia, also known as Kanak by its native community.

— Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

Definition of contentions

Noun

Ryan argues in a June report by the Lowy Institute that future wars will reward militaries able to recognize battlefield change, absorb lessons and adapt faster than their opponents.

— David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
The Iran and Gaza wars have thrown that absence and European strategic impotence into sharp relief.

— Galip Dalay, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of wars

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rivaling

rivalries

rivalrous

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“Rivalries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalries. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of rivalries

noun

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