RIVALRY Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

rivalry

noun

ˈrī-vəl-rē

Definition of rivalry

as in competition

an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another a healthy rivalry in sports between the two schools

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rivalry Unitree Robotics pointed to the intensifying rivalry as one reason for slower growth in the first three months of 2026. — Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Down the road, Jones and Bishop Moore could renew a downtown Orlando rivalry. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026 The series ended as an annual event when Missouri joined the SEC for the 2012 season, but the rivalry resumed last year with a Mizzou victory in Columbia. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2026 Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsulas played Centauri and Narn ambassadors whose rivalry deepened, slowly and movingly, into something like friendship. — Jp Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rivalry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalry

Noun

After two jittery routines to start her competition, Claire triumphed with a stick to rocket ahead of Blakely and Carey.

— Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
No away team had won in the previous 14 meetings between the clubs across all competitions.

— Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

Four months later, my mom began a private battle against death when she was diagnosed with polio.

— Dr. Marianne Parshley, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
Following a slew of casualties (including James Norton’s Ormund Hightower) during a massive battle between the Blacks and the Greens at Tumbleton, Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) jumps to her death off screen in King’s Landing.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of battle

Noun

Rookie right-hander Walbert Ureña won the duel against Milwaukee Brewers sensation Jacob Misiorowski in the Angels’ 3-0 victory on Sunday afternoon.

— Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 2 Aug. 2026
Cherry went 74 minutes in Sunday’s loss to Racing Louisville, recording four defensive clearances and winning three of her four aerial duels as Angel City lost for the first time in four games.

— Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 31 July 2026

Definition of duel

Noun

The more than five-month-old conflict, which was already expanding beyond its main fronts, has embroiled further countries in the Middle East in recent days, notably the likes of Iraq and Egypt.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
As Tehran and Washington issue mixed messages, the status of the strait remains at the core of the conflict.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

Confronting unpredictable adversaries well-versed in asymmetrical warfare from three directions is a military planner’s nightmare.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Real life is much tougher than fictional TV representations of drone warfare like this exciting but unrealistic sequence in Lioness.

— David Hambling, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of warfare

Noun

On Memorial Day, 1927, when Fred was twenty-one, he was arrested for refusing to disperse during a violent confrontation between police and a band of white-hooded Klansmen in Queens; he was released shortly after.

— Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Tyrell Scott was stabbed in the chest during a confrontation on Riverdale Ave.

— Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of confrontation

Noun

With San Francisco clearly out of contention, the team has no incentive to rush the 33-year-old Chapman’s return to the field.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
LaVine appeared in only 39 games last season before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right pinky finger, a move seemingly hastened by the Kings again being eliminated early from playoff contention.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of contention

Browse Nearby Words

rivalrous

rivalry

rivals

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“Rivalry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalry. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rivalry

noun

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