variants
or rivalling
as in competitive
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Dissimilar Words
variants
or rivalling
as in competing
to engage in a contest
two longtime friends who have rivaled for the same things at every stage of their lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of rivaling
Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
Pairing Harden and Donovan Mitchell possibly gives Cleveland the best back court duo in all of basketball (yes, better than Brunson and Bridges, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, rivaling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in Oklahoma City).
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Trump decided to preach fire and brimstone at the normally bipartisan and staid National Prayer Breakfast — rivaling his performance at Davos recently.
—Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
Historically, the February holiday is known for being an auspicious time to buy a new bed, with some of the discounts on mattresses even rivaling Cyber Monday deals.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 5 Feb. 2026
It’s been among Texas’ highest-grossing venues in alcohol sales in the past, rivaling large venues like AT&T Stadium and the American Airlines Center in its heyday.
—Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
The result will be a disappointment for the streamer, which was hoping that Star Search could give it a splashy entry into the world of broadcast-style entertainment formats, rivaling the likes of NBC’s The Voice, Fox’s The Masked Singer or ABC’s American Idol.
—Peter White, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Graduation sites weren’t even on the agenda, but School Board members still spent about four hours on the topic, rivaling the time spent on a proposal to close seven schools, a topic that some School Board members viewed as far more consequential and heartbreaking.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Promoting the ‘Board of Peace’ On Thursday, Trump plans to talk about the Board of Peace, meant to oversee the end of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and possibly take on a broader mandate, potentially rivaling the United Nations.
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
This is reflected in the local real estate market; Charlotte consistently ranks in the top three nationally for office leasing and absorption, rivaling much larger hubs like New York and Dallas.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
Pairing Harden and Donovan Mitchell possibly gives Cleveland the best back court duo in all of basketball (yes, better than Brunson and Bridges, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, rivaling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in Oklahoma City).
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Trump decided to preach fire and brimstone at the normally bipartisan and staid National Prayer Breakfast — rivaling his performance at Davos recently.
—Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
Historically, the February holiday is known for being an auspicious time to buy a new bed, with some of the discounts on mattresses even rivaling Cyber Monday deals.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 5 Feb. 2026
It’s been among Texas’ highest-grossing venues in alcohol sales in the past, rivaling large venues like AT&T Stadium and the American Airlines Center in its heyday.
—Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
The result will be a disappointment for the streamer, which was hoping that Star Search could give it a splashy entry into the world of broadcast-style entertainment formats, rivaling the likes of NBC’s The Voice, Fox’s The Masked Singer or ABC’s American Idol.
—Peter White, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
Graduation sites weren’t even on the agenda, but School Board members still spent about four hours on the topic, rivaling the time spent on a proposal to close seven schools, a topic that some School Board members viewed as far more consequential and heartbreaking.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Promoting the ‘Board of Peace’ On Thursday, Trump plans to talk about the Board of Peace, meant to oversee the end of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and possibly take on a broader mandate, potentially rivaling the United Nations.
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivaling
Adjective
-
If guys aren’t going to hold themselves to certain competitive standards, Gobert suggested, Wolves coach Chris Finch should start benching the culprits.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The Celtics then took that momentum into a competitive fourth quarter that included four lead changes and four ties, completing the comeback win.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What’s interesting about this story … is that Eileen Gu is an American skier competing for China.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Critics argued that the hotel industry was already faced with the minimum wage changes and low demand, and increasing taxes by any amount could send tourists to competing hotels in nearby cities.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
However, taking high doses of zinc for a long time can have the opposite effect, weakening immunity.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Kodjoe made his Broadway debut in the 2008 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, opposite James Earl Jones.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That could be a make-or-break stretch for the Sharks, with three games against non-playoff-contending teams that could be especially important for keeping the roster together.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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One of only three teams in the league without a deadline move, with the highly competitive and contending San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets being the others.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Drone soccer requires pilots to maneuver spherical drones through an opposing goal.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Opponent-process theory, refined in the seventies by the psychologists Richard Solomon and John Corbit, holds that the body balances out the high of a drug with the opposing force of a comedown or a withdrawal.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rivaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivaling. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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