sweepstakes

1 an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another in last week's box office sweepstakes a quirky little comedy handily bested Hollywood's latest special effects extravaganza Synonyms ball game, battle, combat, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, match, rivalry, strife, struggle, contest (also sweep-stake), tug-of-war, war, warfareRelated Words horse race, nail-biter; showdown; clash, collision, discord, friction; argument, controversy, debate, disagreement, disputation, dispute, dissension (also dissention), quarrel, row, wrangleNear Antonyms concord, harmony, peace

2 a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize regards the music awards as nothing more than a popularity sweepstakes Synonyms bout, competition, contest, event, match, matchup, meet, game (also sweep-stake), tournament, tourneyRelated Words athletics, sport; battle, conflict, scrimmage, skirmish, struggle, tug-of-war, tussle; championship, national(s); final, nightcap, play-off, semifinal; derby, field day, gymkhana, open, outing; biathlon, decathlon, heptathlon, pentathlon, triathlon; marathon, race, ultramarathon; heat, round, run, set; rally, volley; round-robin, rubber, runoff, sudden death; dead heat, photo finish, seesaw; classic