Thesaurus results for COMPETE

compete

verb

kəm-ˈpēt

Definition of compete

as in to contend

to engage in a contest prizefighters competing for the world heavyweight championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 compete The tension between the various competing interests is handled with nuance and without taking sides, all while showing both the pitfalls and the wondrous potential of this annual spectacle. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 But the coverage is administered by commercial insurance companies, which compete fiercely with one another for the business of about 56 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in drug plans. — Susan Jaffe, NPR, 6 July 2026 He was expected to compete on LaFamilia, the University of Kentucky’s alumni team, in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) this summer. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026 Recently, Beijing hosted the RoBoLeague World Robot Soccer League, where fully autonomous humanoid robots competed in what organizers called the world’s first 3-on-3 soccer match without human intervention. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for compete

Recent Examples of Synonyms for compete

Verb

Shopping for cannabis based solely on THC percentage is fundamentally flawed, experts contend.

— Peter Su, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Her attorneys contend the defendants used the litigation to portray her as dishonest, intimidate potential witnesses, fuel a public relations campaign against her and drive up the cost of her legal defense.

— Adam Reiss, NBC news, 30 June 2026

Definition of contend

Verb

In 2023, more than a decade after a experiencing season-ending racing injuries, Muniz decided to pursue his dream of NASCAR racing full-throttle and announced his return to stock car racing in the ARCA Menards Series.

— Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Ships raced through the night to reach New York Harbor, all trying to be first to dock at Ellis Island.

— Albert Sun, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of race

Verb

White settlers and frontier pioneers built vast, fenceless cattle stations, battling harsh environments and disease, embracing a hard-living culture that exists to this day.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Two shades of yellow, one closer to a ripe lemon, the other closer to gold, filled Kansas City’s FIFA World Cup Fan Fest as Ghana and Colombia battled for a spot in the Round of 16 on Friday night.

— Latif Love July 4, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026

Definition of battle

Browse Nearby Words

compensations

compete

competed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Compete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compete. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of compete

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on compete

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes