1
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the eternal contest between the forces of good and the forces of evil
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tournaments
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
a contest for the gold medal in diving
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in skirmishes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
what mighty contests have been waged on trivial matters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in challenges
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
vowed to contest the claim in court
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contests
From Staff Reports, Dallas Morning News, 3 Apr. 2026
One year earlier, the Indiana roster had eight future NBA players, outscored opponents by nearly 23 points per game and won their first 31 contests before falling 92-90 in the Elite Eight to Kentucky when May tried to play with a cast on his broken left arm.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Burns has played in 135 career playoff contests.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
After hearing some boos from their own fans during the third quarter of Wednesday’s game, the Magic travel to Dallas for a Friday matchup against a Mavericks squad that’s 2-8 in its past 10 contests.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Physical contests and recreational games have long played a part in human society.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Different departments volunteer to host 20-minute activity rotations for the kids, ranging from cupcake decorating and pizzamaking to games and contests.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Sanders started the final seven games of the season for the Browns and completed just over 59% of his passes for 1,353 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in those contests.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Across those six contests, Byfield has compiled five goals, nine points and +5 rating.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Yohuru Williams, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
One suit contests privacy-protection methods; the other seeks to exclude undocumented immigrants from numbers used to redraw congressional districts.
—Mike Schneider, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Here, Sarr successfully contests a 13-foot floater by Tyler Kolek.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The high court’s decision did not address the underlying merits of the lawsuit, which contests the Department of Homeland Security’s revocation policy.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
If the president contests that decision, Congress must resolve the dispute, requiring a two-thirds vote in both chambers to maintain the vice president's authority.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
The ballot is packed, from city council races in fast-growing suburbs to school boards looking to fund expansion projects, though many contests remain low profile.
—From Staff Reports, Dallas Morning News, 3 Apr. 2026
One year earlier, the Indiana roster had eight future NBA players, outscored opponents by nearly 23 points per game and won their first 31 contests before falling 92-90 in the Elite Eight to Kentucky when May tried to play with a cast on his broken left arm.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Burns has played in 135 career playoff contests.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
After hearing some boos from their own fans during the third quarter of Wednesday’s game, the Magic travel to Dallas for a Friday matchup against a Mavericks squad that’s 2-8 in its past 10 contests.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Physical contests and recreational games have long played a part in human society.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Different departments volunteer to host 20-minute activity rotations for the kids, ranging from cupcake decorating and pizzamaking to games and contests.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Sanders started the final seven games of the season for the Browns and completed just over 59% of his passes for 1,353 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in those contests.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Across those six contests, Byfield has compiled five goals, nine points and +5 rating.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
One lawsuit contests the federal government’s refusal to allow the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to investigate the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
—Yohuru Williams, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
One suit contests privacy-protection methods; the other seeks to exclude undocumented immigrants from numbers used to redraw congressional districts.
—Mike Schneider, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Here, Sarr successfully contests a 13-foot floater by Tyler Kolek.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The high court’s decision did not address the underlying merits of the lawsuit, which contests the Department of Homeland Security’s revocation policy.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
If the president contests that decision, Congress must resolve the dispute, requiring a two-thirds vote in both chambers to maintain the vice president's authority.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contests
Noun
-
Others are places of conflict caused by rivalries between countries or peoples, disputes over national resources, or disagreements about the past.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
If festive pride persists, it is no longer connected to a country, empire, culture, or race, but the unique traditions of individual municipalities, pitted against one another in fierce but friendly, sportsmanlike rivalries.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That appears clear in recent March Madness tournaments, where good teams are winning at historically high rates.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
During tournaments, this mouse is incredibly reliable thanks to its fast response rate, enabling quicker keystrokes and actions.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With billions of dollars at stake, the conflicts manifest in sharp skirmishes in the Legislature, in courts and in the ballot measure arena.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In a dangerous escalation from cross-border skirmishes, Pakistan launched air strikes at the end of February, targeting major cities including Kabul.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The funding is ongoing while Colorado challenges the policy in court, but if reductions are made permanent, Mahanan predicts a wave of day care closures, almost overnight.—
Shay Castle,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
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The game challenges players to guess the hourly burrito combination for a chance to unlock prizes.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The case presents an interesting account of sports business and higher ed decision-making at a time when many colleges are in expensive competitions for coaches who are paid millions of dollars, and where athletes are now paid through revenue sharing and NIL.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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According to the cafe’s social media, Subculture previously held latte art competitions and open mic nights.—
Abigail Hasebroock,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Kings had the worst record in the NBA as recently as March 9, but after winning seven of their last 14 games they are now tied with the Utah Jazz for the fifth-worst record in the league.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Wolverines defeated the Mustangs in state semis last year and in 2021 and 2025 and won state title games against Grapevine in 2018 and 2022.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Videos from the scene showed clashes and even a man with a gun in one town.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In Dallas, clashes erupted between No Kings marchers and counter-protesters.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But when new hire Pumpkin (Lola Tung) questions their sisterhood, they’re forced to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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Family questions police response Sye's other sister told CBS New Baltimore that the officers were too aggressive in their response.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contests. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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