as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the playful competition over who would get the new office turned into a real dogfight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dogfight
The Huskies — fighting for a second straight national title — were in a total dogfight with Illinois.
—
From Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Expecting an absolute dogfight in this one, which is right up Hanover’s alley.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
But consecutive unanswered three-pointers by North Dakota evened the score with just more than seven minutes remaining to set off a dogfight for the remainder of the contest.
—Tom Carothers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
But the Canadiens are also a top-10 team in the league entering play Thursday and in a dogfight to claim home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
From Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Expecting an absolute dogfight in this one, which is right up Hanover’s alley.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
But consecutive unanswered three-pointers by North Dakota evened the score with just more than seven minutes remaining to set off a dogfight for the remainder of the contest.
—Tom Carothers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
But the Canadiens are also a top-10 team in the league entering play Thursday and in a dogfight to claim home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfight
Noun
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In December, Chelsea’s players looked inexplicably unprepared for the intensity of this long-time rivalry and were caught out via defensive errors.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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They also are slotted to host an ACC opponent, probably the Blue Devils, and an annual rivalry game against Florida State (on the road this year).—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Voters will probably be bombarded with political ads and arguments from opposing sides as the battle intensifies.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Koh-i-Noor then spent 70 years in Afghanistan, where it was passed around by leaders who won bloody battles against one another.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Dozens of onboard cameras capture the action during tight high-speed duels, while sensors stream more than 35,000 data points per second to onshore coaches.—
G.W. Allen,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2026
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Havertz’s smart movement, greater technical security, and a bit more nous in the duels help those around him to play better.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Prediction markets have increased competition but have not significantly slowed the industry’s growth.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Only weeks remain before hundreds of thousands of soccer fans are expected to start descending on Kansas City for the first game, on June 16, of the month-long 2026 FIFA World Cup competition.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Plenty of Sellers’ struggles could be pinned on offensive play calling and a lack of polished talent around him.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Water Tower Place is about to get a complete $170 million makeover, a big step toward its recovery after years of financial struggle and the loss of several major tenants.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On September 15th, 1916, land warfare was forever revolutionized with the first operational appearance of the tank.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
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Mario Diaz-Balart is one of a dwindling number of lawmakers who come from an era in which Democrats and Republicans cooperated more and were less inclined to engage in today’s approach of constant political warfare.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Khanna said the war will increase costs by $5,000 for American households.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Hegseth also had contentious exchanges about the war in Iran, trading broadsides with Democratic lawmakers over the strategic direction of the war and costs to Americans at home and abroad.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Describing this photo, documentary photographer Chantal Pinzi says that Ghita Jhaite's horse was agitated after a confrontation with other stallions that caused the rider to fall.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
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The sharp debate in Union Park is only the latest in a series of thorny confrontations about how best to manage homelessness in the Central Florida region, where housing costs are high, shelter space is scarce, and residents are concerned about people living in public spaces.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfight. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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