Synonyms of rivals

rivals 1 of 2

noun

plural of rival

1

as in counterparts

one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value

a design that is a rival to any produced by a professional graphic artist

Synonyms & Similar Words

• counterparts
• equivalents
• partners
• colleagues
• peers
• competitors
• fellows
• likes
• equals
• coordinates
• parallels
• compeers
• matches
• companions
• coequals
• associates
• analogues
• twins
• mates
• halves
• doubles
• copartners

2

as in opponents

one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict

the boxer's toughest rival thus far

Synonyms & Similar Words

• opponents
• foes
• competitors
• adversaries
• contestants
• antagonists
• enemies
• matches
• equals
• attackers
• combatants
• archenemies
• nemeses
• invaders
• assailants
• curses
• bêtes noires
• banes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• partners
• allies
• supporters
• accomplices
• proponents
• advocates
• champions
• confederates
• exponents
• sympathizers

3

as in competitors

one who strives for the same thing as another

the four cities that are the top rivals for the site of the next Olympic Games

Synonyms & Similar Words

• competitors
• contenders
• contestants
• challengers
• competitions
• finalists
• archrivals
• corrivals
• players
• opponents
• entrants
• adversaries
• entries
• antagonists
• semifinalists
• also-rans

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• noncompetitors

rivals

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rival

as in competes

to engage in a contest

two longtime friends who have rivaled for the same things at every stage of their lives

Synonyms & Similar Words

• competes
• races
• contends
• fights
• battles
• vies
• challenges
• faces off
• maneuvers
• plays
• engages
• jockeys
• jostles
• works
• goes out
• trains
• tries out

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rivals

Noun

After six innings, the crowd of 38,872 watching two historic rivals sat through a 15-minute delay. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 5 July 2026

The South American rivals may just end up facing each other in a week. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026

Queen Bey’s feminism would mature — on the occasion of her 25th birthday, specifics were mostly limited to paying one’s own way and doing one’s best to keep rivals out of chinchilla coats. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 July 2026

The Chinese challengers Seedance, Kling and Alibaba’s HappyHorse have rapidly closed the gap on cinematic realism and have upstaged their American rivals by undercutting them on cost. — Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

The country’s bitter local rivals, South Korea, can call upon players who are on the books at some of the world’s biggest clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain (Lee Kang-in) and Bayern Munich (Kim Min-jae), an option Japan currently doesn’t have. — Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Competitions are familiar, and respectful engagement with rivals is familiar. — Deborah Mower, The Conversation, 2 July 2026

The club is one year into PSG Labs, 15 years into the broader brand project, and still operating in a country where broadcast television revenue—the financial backbone of English and Spanish football—is dramatically lower than its rivals. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 June 2026

Also, consider the loss of neighborhood rivals Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac sure to pack the gym. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026

Verb

As Meta races ahead with its multi-hundred-billion-dollar AI push, rivals Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are also chasing the same tax breaks and energy deals from states scrambling for a piece of the AI boom. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 July 2026

Edwards stepped down as sporting director in 2022 and subsequently rejected around a dozen job offers from clubs across Europe, including lucrative approaches from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea to run their football operations. — James Pearce, New York Times, 10 July 2026

So, before too long, Chinese rockets could be returning to Earth with a frequency that rivals SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 10 July 2026

Drop a scoop into a glass of sparkling water or lemonade for an easy summer float that rivals the ones many of us grew up ordering at Sam's Club. — Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 10 July 2026

Its 24-600mm zoom lens can handle nearly any scene, its Type 1 sensor rivals the best smartphones for picture quality, and its autofocus system is right up there with what pros are used to from the latest mirrorless cameras. — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026

The Pentagon is asking for about $54 billion in its fiscal year 2027 budget to spend on drones and autonomous warfare technologies—an amount that rivals wartime Ukraine’s entire military budget. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026

But where menswear is concerned, nothing rivals the cult of the Belgian loafer. — Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 6 July 2026

Arhaus’ Fourth of July sale is your ticket to an exterior space that rivals your favorite celeb’s backyard. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 3 July 2026