as in competition
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
a healthy rivalry in sports between the two schools
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rivalry
Cincinnati sports fans really don’t like Kansas City, and it’s apparently not limited to the Chiefs-Bengals rivalry.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026
Instead of trying to revive a rivalry in-house, the acquisition feels like the right opportunity to finally, fully put Showtime to bed and simply inject its programming into the HBO and HBO Max libraries.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
The rivalry seemingly produces thrillers, with each of the past three games being decided by 10 total points.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
Plus, its obesity treatment rivalry with Novo Nordisk, which is willing to cut prices to regain market share, adds another wrinkle that can drive big stock swings.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rivalry
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026
Instead of trying to revive a rivalry in-house, the acquisition feels like the right opportunity to finally, fully put Showtime to bed and simply inject its programming into the HBO and HBO Max libraries.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
The rivalry seemingly produces thrillers, with each of the past three games being decided by 10 total points.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
Plus, its obesity treatment rivalry with Novo Nordisk, which is willing to cut prices to regain market share, adds another wrinkle that can drive big stock swings.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rivalry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalry
Noun
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Nearly 8,000 images from around the world were submitted for the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 competition.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
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Like other agencies that have slowly become agents in partisan political battles, the FCC continues to function as a prop rather than as a technocratic regulator focused on infrastructure, competition, and connectivity.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The program currently remains in another legal battle, with people able to renew their status but no new applications accepted.—
Mathew Miranda
February 26,
Sacbee.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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The battle pitted Ellison against Netflix, the industry’s biggest and most important player.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Lightning entered on a 22-game winning streak, focused on defense and led by a senior point guard worthy of a duel against the Knights’ star point guard.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
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Enter James Austin Johnson who’s up for a challenge and the two engage in an accent duel in a Western-style showdown.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The decline of perks, on top of teachers’ financial struggles, may be contributing to burnout at public schools.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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The struggle of this transit is patience — or the lack thereof.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The conflict also threatens to worsen Afghanistan’s already grave humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by Western aid cuts following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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The first details of possible effects on Iran's nuclear program, the issue at the center of the escalating conflict, began to emerge.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The pilot and his electronic warfare officer also struggled with a wet runway at Naval Air Station North Island during their second attempt to land, when winds were creating a tailwind on the landing runway.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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The key driver of this growth in defense is drones, a technology that is rapidly advancing warfare and could have ripple effects on other commercial technologies down the line.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Police who investigated the shooting said Randall and another man argued before the confrontation escalated into gunfire.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
1 Mar. 2026
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At least nine people were killed in confrontations with security forces.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And while that may be the hill on which negotiations devolve, the baseline contention by the MLB Players Association is that the problem is not every owner is trying to win.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
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Grier could choose to navigate the deadline by parting with some periphery pieces — or even one or two that the Sharks rely on a great deal — but not dramatically subtracting from a group that played its way into playoff contention after a horrid start to the 2025-26 season.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalry. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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