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.
—
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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The exhibition reimagines graffiti as a dynamic cultural force and blends two and three-dimensional works.—
Alyson Rodriguez,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
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The combination of Luka Doncic and LeBron James was overpowering and enthralling for all to see during the Lakers’ dynamic 124-116 win over the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Wednesday.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In practice, few young Chinese feel secure enough to drop out of their hyper-competitive society, but some have found new homes in Dali.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
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The secretive giving is the latest example of how outside groups are obscuring their spending in competitive campaigns.—
Clara Ence Morse,
Washington Post,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The rival streaming services connected to the big tech players are exploring similar AI features.—
Trevor Laurence Jockims,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2026
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The ChatGPT creator has been losing out on business customers to rival Anthropic, credit card payment data suggests, even as OpenAI’s chatbot remains popular among individual users.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Although Brixx operates a mix of corporate and franchised locations, its takeover of that space would make the lakefront livelier by putting patrons on the patio at night.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
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Fredericksburg still wears its German heritage on its sleeve, evident throughout Main Street architecture and a lively cluster of biergartens and long-running seasonal festivals.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Various strands of the opposition—ethnic minorities, leftists, and educated technocrats—appeared determined to block him, even at the price of leaving the regime in place.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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Sophie Hart, who added 10 points, gave the Gophers their first lead since early in the third quarter with a determined drop-step to the basket for a short bank shot with 18 seconds left.—
Dave Campbell,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalrous. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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