as in dynamic
having or marked by a strong desire to win or be better than others
The two siblings shared a rivalrous but ultimately loving relationship.
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Recent Examples of rivalrous
This Trump Doctrine emphasizes using American power aggressively — more aggressively than Trump’s immediate predecessors — to reshape key relationships and accrue U.S. advantage in a rivalrous world.
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Hal Brands, Twin Cities, 13 July 2025
The sisters were long involved in a rivalrous feud.
—Lydia Price, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
In Trump’s first term, that insight helped the United States begin a messy adjustment to the realities of a rivalrous age.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Ricardo divided society into three rivalrous classes—landlords, capitalists, and workers—and showed how the landlords were able to take the lion’s share of the economic surplus by virtue of owning, and charging rent on, a scarce and valuable resource: land.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rivalrous
Hal Brands, Twin Cities, 13 July 2025
The sisters were long involved in a rivalrous feud.
—Lydia Price, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
In Trump’s first term, that insight helped the United States begin a messy adjustment to the realities of a rivalrous age.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Ricardo divided society into three rivalrous classes—landlords, capitalists, and workers—and showed how the landlords were able to take the lion’s share of the economic surplus by virtue of owning, and charging rent on, a scarce and valuable resource: land.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rivalrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalrous
Adjective
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Esports is one of the most dynamic cultural movements of our time.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
18 June 2026
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Opposition to that measure has been particularly fierce in the technology and biotech sectors, whose representatives say tax breaks for research allow for the kind of expensive bets on innovation that have long driven California’s dynamic economy.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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For the couple, Fan Fest provided the perfect competitive backdrop.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
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Any of those teams would give him an opportunity to contribute in a role in a competitive context right away.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
Adjective
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In another poll conducted earlier this year, Starmer’s likeability rating was only 20%—several points below rival party leaders.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
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This change, announced in January 2025 , will bring FedEx in line with rival UPS and other transportation industry players.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
21 June 2026
Adjective
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Similarly, the lively Doyles Irish Pub serves classic pub fare such as wings, a Reuben sandwich, and fish and chips.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
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In the evening, Banff’s newest late-night spot, The Dusty Boot Saloon, channels cowboy country motifs through nostalgic saloon energy and a lively dance hall, stage for live music and hidden lounges.—
Kristin Braswell,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Adjective
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If Socrates is the intellectual hero of the ancient world, and Jesus the spiritual hero, Odysseus—hardened, brutal, grief-struck, determined to reclaim his home—is the human hero, the whole man.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
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Pilots will stop at nine pre-determined airports in between the start and finish line with stops in Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Wisconsin.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalrous. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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