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
During his over five-decade career, Lawler was part of many iconic rivalries against the likes of Bret Hart, Kerry Von Erich, Terry Funk, Andy Kaufman, and much more.
—
Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
No doubt, rivalries and disagreements still exist.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Djokovic ultimately emerged as the third man, which enriched the dynamic and added layers, creating three rivalries where previously there had been one.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
During a candid conversation on Drink Champs, the Queensbridge legend speculated that a combination of misunderstood lyrics and the height of coastal rap rivalries contributed to the tension between Mobb Deep and Tupac.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Starring Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti, the series introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who navigate friendships, rivalries, first loves and a new enemy who threatens both the Academy and the Federation.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Premiering in 2011, the edgy comedy follows Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig) as her life unravels while serving as maid of honor for her best friend Lillian Donovan (Maya Rudolph), leading to a string of wedding planning mishaps and bridal party rivalries.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Know The In-State Rivalry Games SEC rivalries, especially interstate battles, are no joke—and many are played Thanksgiving weekend.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2025
Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
No doubt, rivalries and disagreements still exist.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Djokovic ultimately emerged as the third man, which enriched the dynamic and added layers, creating three rivalries where previously there had been one.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
During a candid conversation on Drink Champs, the Queensbridge legend speculated that a combination of misunderstood lyrics and the height of coastal rap rivalries contributed to the tension between Mobb Deep and Tupac.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Starring Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti, the series introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who navigate friendships, rivalries, first loves and a new enemy who threatens both the Academy and the Federation.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Premiering in 2011, the edgy comedy follows Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig) as her life unravels while serving as maid of honor for her best friend Lillian Donovan (Maya Rudolph), leading to a string of wedding planning mishaps and bridal party rivalries.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Know The In-State Rivalry Games SEC rivalries, especially interstate battles, are no joke—and many are played Thanksgiving weekend.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalries
Noun
-
The musical battles in K-Popped did require them to compete against each other.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Years of lobbying and court battles by the LGBTQ community have achieved a few successes over the past decade.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When Williams’ case was sent to DOAH, Citron filed a motion requesting, among other things, that DOAH Judge Todd Resavage disclose any potential conflicts.—
Mario Ariza,
ProPublica,
15 Sep. 2025
-
On closer inspection, however, activist fund principals often face irreconcilable conflicts.—
Kai Liekefett,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Girls in particular report drops in confidence, disrupted sleep, and heavier struggles with mental health.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Production shutdowns, layoffs BrightDrop's struggles come less than a year after GM folded the commercial vans into its Chevrolet brand in a bid to boost its performance as GM tries to gain ground against competitors, including Ford and Rivian, in the electric van space.—
Jackie Charniga,
Freep.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 27-year-old is technical, strong in duels, has a great engine to move up and down the pitch, a good ball progresser and reader of the game.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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From playoff duels to major championship showdowns, their careers have been intertwined since the late 1990s.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Some say the confrontations are not isolated, but part of a wider cycle of fear and resistance that is expected to intensify as operations expand.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
-
That event was still beset by confrontations, with someone jumping on a police officer, protesters smashing glass panes in the doors of the venue and members of the Proud Boys – a far-right group – clashing with demonstrators, according to local media reports.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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At launch, the feature will be available exclusively for UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League competitions on the web across desktops.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
9 Sep. 2025
-
After it was completed in 2011, the London Aquatics Centre went on to serve as one of the main venues for swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming during the 2012 competitions.—
Mae Hamilton,
AFAR Media,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
-
Kirk, a prominent voice in culture wars on college campuses, hosts a daily radio show and podcast, The Charlie Kirk Show, which ranks among the top 10 on Apple News’ list of top podcasts and has a strong Gen Z fan base.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Several years into the streaming wars, a Paramount-WBD merger could entail the most meaningful elimination of a direct-to-consumer outlet yet, in the name of cost efficiencies.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rivalries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalries. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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