as in battles
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
a healthy rivalry in sports between the two schools
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Recent Examples of rivalries
Over the course of three decades, multiple law enforcement agencies tried to crack the case as conspiracy theories involving complex gang and music-related rivalries swirled.
—
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
The film traces his long-running bid to step out of Chun’s shadow and claim the top seat himself, examining the web of alliances, rivalries, and institutional maneuvers that defines his ascent.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
White told reporters at his Halas Hall introduction that his on-field tenacity comes from rivalries with his brothers and dad that stoked his fire and gave him a cutthroat edge.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Some may fall victim to regional political rivalries and never materialize.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
And obviously there have been some really great rivalries.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Grandmasters chronicles the rivalries, reinventions, and personal battles shaping the modern pursuit of greatness in the game of kings.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
It’s created many memorable moments — which, at their core, is what rivalries are about.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026
The two had epic rivalries with Rick Martel and Tito Santana, the British Bulldogs of Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid and the Hart Foundation with Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
The film traces his long-running bid to step out of Chun’s shadow and claim the top seat himself, examining the web of alliances, rivalries, and institutional maneuvers that defines his ascent.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
White told reporters at his Halas Hall introduction that his on-field tenacity comes from rivalries with his brothers and dad that stoked his fire and gave him a cutthroat edge.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Some may fall victim to regional political rivalries and never materialize.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
And obviously there have been some really great rivalries.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Grandmasters chronicles the rivalries, reinventions, and personal battles shaping the modern pursuit of greatness in the game of kings.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
It’s created many memorable moments — which, at their core, is what rivalries are about.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026
The two had epic rivalries with Rick Martel and Tito Santana, the British Bulldogs of Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid and the Hart Foundation with Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalries
Noun
-
That means the knock-down, drag-out government shutdown battles that have become a Washington ritual are, in effect, a fight over a little more than a quarter of the federal ledger.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Marr's legal battles with State Farm started in 1999, when Marr says the insurer denied a claim that a friend filed for tornado damage.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Since one of the metaphorical aspects of the script concerns how swiftly conflicts can flare up from small disagreements into major knock-down-drag-out fights, showing the violence and bared-teeth snarling is appropriate, a lighter touch could work, too.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Determined to rise to the occasion and work out every possible kink, Daisy sets out to resolve conflicts between the stews and in the galley.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His personal struggles growing up with an absent dad and being a young man of color who comes from a low-income family soon take a toll on him.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Horner's mother testified last week, telling the jury about her own struggles with drugs and spending parts of Horner's childhood in jail.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No Leeds player won more than his eight duels.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Those duels couldn’t hold a candle to the Giants’ 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, a victory that served as Vitello’s first exposure to the historic rivalry in the regular season.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The massive expansion of enforcement operations drew local resistance from activists, leading to clashes with federal agents and the deaths of residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti during confrontations with ICE and Border Patrol.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Might the physical toil of the other competitions play a part in the final destination of the league title?—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Once the films are finished, one filmmaker will be chosen to receive an additional $10,000 grant and invited to join the AGBO Storytellers Collective, an alumni network of emerging filmmakers who have won AGBO fellowships or competitions.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The passing of time is the only thing that will reveal the veracity of their contentions and what some of the underlying numbers suggest regarding the quality of their at-bats not being reflected in their production.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
An administration official would make a claim about what happened, and later evidence would find these contentions to be misleading.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Now the edge is getting pushed yet again, as the culture transitions from the memeification of one man’s death to delighting in the real-time memes of wars.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Plenty of others haven’t engaged with the book at all, instead using its premise — and ironically, Hathaway’s role as a female producer on the film — as fodder for the ever-raging American culture wars.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalries. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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