as in competition
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
a healthy rivalry in sports between the two schools
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rivalry
Nothing like a little bad blood to breathe a little life into a languishing rivalry.
—
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Clemson and Alabama built a pseudo title-game rivalry in the mid-2010s.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
And obviously there have been some really great rivalries.
—ABC News, 22 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
See All Example Sentences for rivalry
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Clemson and Alabama built a pseudo title-game rivalry in the mid-2010s.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
And obviously there have been some really great rivalries.
—ABC News, 22 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
See All Example Sentences for rivalry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalry
Noun
-
Prediction markets have increased competition but have not significantly slowed the industry’s growth.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
But none of these conflicts affected so many corners of the world as swiftly as the Iran war.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
While they are all expected to leave interest rates unchanged, investors are keen to know how officials view the inflation threat posed by the oil shock stemming from the US-Iran conflict.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Also, American defense technology company Anduril Industries just announced a strategic partnership with the Ukrainian drone detection and electronic warfare firm Kara Dag Technologies.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Sue Halpern assesses the current threat of digital warfare and how the Administration may have weakened American defenses.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
The Hawks’ loss to the Edmonton Oilers on April 2 eliminated them from playoff contention with six games to go.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
His age looms as a ticking clock for Detroit’s contention timeline, and that’s something to keep in mind in the big picture.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivalry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivalry. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
