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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Ideally, a midfielder with a dynamic movement profile, slash dribbler or ball-winner.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Dawson has coached many dynamic receivers who have played in the NFL.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Strategic shakeup Usually buying and selling is a cop out, but with where the Red Sox are in their competitive cycle the approach might make some sense.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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Meanwhile, chips must still be replaced every few years simply to remain cost-competitive, compounding demand pressure from both ends.—
Rakesh Kumar,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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In a single incident in February 2025, more than 20 people were killed when rival groups clashed near the Ethiopian border.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
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The challenge of winning, over and over, as rival teams curate counters.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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Food and drink The lobby lounge always seems to have a coffee and cocktail menu at hand, and that’s why the area stays lively from morning to night.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Also enjoy tours of the Nectar Garden, lively puppet shows, special presentations about pollinators, family-friendly nature crafts and live music.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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None of those cases involve passengers from the United States; one potential case was later determined to be negative following additional testing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
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Lee Hong-nae plays Yoon Dong-hyeon, the stubborn and hot-headed military chef who is determined to get out as soon as his military service is up.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalrous. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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