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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Mike and Pam aren’t the only dynamic duo at CinemaCon anymore.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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There’s a strange dynamic emerging around artificial intelligence.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the competitive landscape, the model is expected to go head-to-head with rivals such as the Geely Galaxy M9, a large plug-in hybrid SUV that has already demonstrated strong early market traction with more than 11,000 deliveries in just the first two months of the year.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
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But Elham, a contentious and fiercely competitive student, suspects that Marjan’s zeal for anglophone culture, including Hollywood romantic comedies, masks a resentment for the Iranian life she is now stuck with.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As the operation grows across the city-wide black market, their ambitions clash with corrupt authorities, rival butchers and a shifting political landscape, pushing the family toward dangerous alliances and violent consequences.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2026
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For instance, Google was found liable under US antitrust law for contracting with web browsers to make its search engine their default, as this was deemed to have prevented rival engines from reaching enough users to refine their algorithms to compete effectively.—
Satya Marar,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The lively, spirited daughter of an Afghani immigrant family chafes against the traditional values of her family and immigrant community.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
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Today, Salado’s historic roots blend with a lively creative scene.—
Lauren Jones,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Authorities said the boy struck him while riding what was initially reported as an e-bike but was later determined to be an off-highway motorcycle — a vehicle not permitted on public roadways in California.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
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One of the five was an MIT professor killed at his doorstep by a former Portuguese classmate who was later determined to be the Brown University mass shooter.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalrous. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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