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
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
Instead, Civil War focuses intently on the knotty dynamic (sometimes familial, sometimes patently rivalrous) between Jessie and Lee—an ambitious, possibly opportunistic up-and-comer and the haunted professional who’s seen it all—and the role of journalists in a society on the brink of collapse.
—Elaina Patton, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rivalrous
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
Instead, Civil War focuses intently on the knotty dynamic (sometimes familial, sometimes patently rivalrous) between Jessie and Lee—an ambitious, possibly opportunistic up-and-comer and the haunted professional who’s seen it all—and the role of journalists in a society on the brink of collapse.
—Elaina Patton, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rivalrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalrous
Adjective
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Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behavior.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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The 53-year-old Mladenov has long been involved in Middle Eastern politics with solid expertise in the region’s dynamic developments.—
Veselin Toshkov,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This is the random bunch of misfits Courteney will have to transform into a team competitive enough to make it to nationals, and that will surely start to form one big family along the way.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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The two bonded over their mutual love for Atlanta and its vibrant culture before Trae and Quavo faced off in a friendly yet competitive game of HORSE on the basketball court.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Even moreso now that grocery bills rival flat-screen TVs and monthly health insurance premiums cost what a mortgage once did.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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The project will receive nearly $70 million in tax-increment financing that created a stir among rival casino properties in Reno and was ultimately approved in a 5-2 vote last May by the city’s redevelopment agency.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Chabada For a livelier scene, head to the main drag along Platja de l’Arenal to find Chabada.—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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The style throughout, irrespective of category, is lively without being hectic, a pleasing postmodern blend of contemporary, midcentury, and roughly Victorian elements.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Left in the dark Early in the pandemic, Florida was determined to keep a lid of secrecy on the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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In a landscape of fear and scarcity, where basic ingredients are nearly impossible to find, Lamia sets out on a determined journey throughout the big city in search of eggs, flour and sugar.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rivalrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalrous. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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