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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Together, the observations present Saturn as a layered and dynamic world.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Brooks Ghost 17 A blend of soft and dynamic cushioning in the midsole, plus forefoot flex grooves, help the Ghost 17 roll smoothly and comfortably for miles.—
Lisa Jhung,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The application process is competitive.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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In a highly competitive environment, if Series Mania 2026 was anything to go by, a significant number of Europe’s top companies are driving into originality in order to score precious series orders.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Could Iran end up like Libya, where a NATO air campaign in 2011 helped topple a decades-old dictatorship, but paved the way for the disintegration of the Libyan state into a thicket of rival factions and warring militias?—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Wynter argued that serious candidates should be prepared to address all communities and suggested that Jackson's decision may have been influenced by criticism from rival Burt Jones at a previous event earlier in the week.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
29 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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It was later determined that those two residents were not at home at the time of the fire, Pittsburgh Public Safety confirmed.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Yet Americans remained determined, patient, and optimistic — committed to defeating evil.—
Gil Troy,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalrous. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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