1
as in equivalent
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
a design that is a rival to any produced by a professional graphic artist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in opponent
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
the boxer's toughest rival thus far
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in competitor
one who strives for the same thing as another
the four cities that are the top rivals for the site of the next Olympic Games
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in competitive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rival
Paresh Dave, Wired News, 6 June 2025
In January 2006, Hamas, Fatah’s preeminent rival, won the elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, the PA’s unicameral legislature.
—Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Tomlin has kept churning out winning seasons, potentially at the expense of finding the franchise quarterback that rival teams — teams the Steelers have been so frantically, if futilely, chasing for years —have in abundance.
—Will Graves, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 June 2025
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 June 2025
Daniel Kaluuya is perhaps the only Black leading man who rivals Jordan’s mix of critical acclaim and box-office success.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rival
Noun
Some of the funding is subject to congressional approval, and a portion could end up going to SpaceX’s rivals.
—Paresh Dave, Wired News, 6 June 2025
In January 2006, Hamas, Fatah’s preeminent rival, won the elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, the PA’s unicameral legislature.
—Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Adjective
On finding partners for EV and battery production House did not address a May 25 report in the Wall Street Journal that cited sources as saying Ford would share production space in its battery plant in Kentucky with rival Nissan.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Tomlin has kept churning out winning seasons, potentially at the expense of finding the franchise quarterback that rival teams — teams the Steelers have been so frantically, if futilely, chasing for years —have in abundance.
—Will Graves, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 June 2025
Verb
From Montana’s high plains to the rolling scrublands of Texas, expansive ranches—some rivaling national parks in size—are being scooped up at staggering prices.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 June 2025
Daniel Kaluuya is perhaps the only Black leading man who rivals Jordan’s mix of critical acclaim and box-office success.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rival
Noun
-
McNabb impressively suppressed opponents’ ability to generate shots and scoring chances despite playing difficult matchup minutes, with the Golden Knights surrendering just 1.79 goals against per 60 during his five-on-five shifts.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
-
This year, his only opponent heading into the primary is Patrick Timmons, an adjunct law professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former Bronx prosecutor.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Meta says more than a billion people use its AI products each month, but it’s also widely seen as lagging behind competitors such as OpenAI and Google in encouraging consumer use of large language models, also known as LLMs.—
Matt O’Brien,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
-
Conversely, organizations that continue transformative efforts during challenging periods can develop resilience, agility and the capacity to capitalize on emerging opportunities faster than their competitors.—
Andrea Guerzoni,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Underlying all of these is the desire to become more resilient, agile, and competitive, ensuring sustainability in a dynamic business environment.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
-
But while that suggests China's GPU design capabilities have made great strides, design is just one aspect that stands in the way of creating a competitive AI chip ecosystem.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
Those chasing the next AI tool without solving their data issues will struggle to compete.—
Hariharan Kolam,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
The veteran-laden Seattle squad competes nightly and has one of the strongest defenses in the league, buoyed by Ezi Magbegor and Nneka Ogwumike.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
And while not everything at Costco is a deal, certain foods consistently offer better value than their grocery store counterparts.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
7 June 2025
-
In the weeks since the fragile detente, Washington has accused Beijing of slow-walking approvals for rare earth exports and reneging on its promise made in Geneva, with Trump expressing increasing urgency to speak to his Chinese counterpart to iron things out.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Eventually, even the foes of the tolling will realize that Prof. Vickrey was correct and that everyone is better off.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
-
The Spartans swept all three foes by 7-0 scores to become the first school in league history to win four consecutive state tennis crowns.—
Dave Wright,
Twin Cities,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
The blue-state governors, many of whom are possible 2028 presidential contenders, are being analyzed over prior statements regarding immigration enforcement.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
-
In order to be considered for sainthood, a contender needs to have two miracles attributed to them.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Sports are not just about competing but also relations.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
-
Leaders from both nations face mounting public pressure to show strength and seek revenge, and the heated rhetoric and competing claims could be a response to that pressure.—
Sheikh Saaliq,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rival. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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