CONTESTS Synonyms: 161 Similar and Opposite Words

contests 1 of 2

noun

plural of contest

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

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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

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as in skirmishes

a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups what mighty contests have been waged on trivial matters

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truces

contests

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of contest

as in challenges

to demand proof of the truth or rightness of vowed to contest the claim in court

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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 contests

Noun

Iowa, which voted three times for Trump in presidential years, has competitive contests for governor, Senate and in three of its four House districts. — Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026 Every team’s games will stream locally, with many franchises also airing contests on freely available over-the-air broadcast stations. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The park sits on the site of the former Les Bois Park, a racetrack that fielded horse races for decades until a 2015 law banning certain gambling machines ended live contests. — Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026 That dynamic will play a role in the competitive races for Texas’ 15th, 28th and 34th congressional districts and in the Senate seat, which has proved to be one of the most expensive and high-profile contests this year. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 For the other teams in the district, games against Blue Ridge are essentially non-district contests. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026 Where Iran ads are most prevalent While the Iran war ads made up about 5% of the total TV spots aired across the competitive races, some contests leaned into the topic heavily. — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 While the Iran war ads made up about 5% of the total TV spots aired across the competitive races, some contests leaned into the topic heavily. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 Key region contests and big South Georgia showdowns headline Friday night’s slate. — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

In giving form to their resistance to Bicentennial events, the anti-catalog retrospectively contests any national fascia union in aesthetics, even though the role of the state was a spine. — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 The threat posed by the Greens will be tested next week when the party’s leader, Zack Polanski, contests an election to become the next Member of Parliament (MP) in London’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency – Starmer’s seat for over a decade. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026 The previous winning country contests a challenger country, and yacht clubs compete against each other to represent their respective countries. — Madeleine Kashkooli, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The family’s future is in limbo as Jeanie Buss contests her five siblings’ plans to sell their remaining stake of the team. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Water and Oxygen Disruption Phillips also contests the notion that weed fabrics are as breathable as they're advertised to be. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 21 May 2026 The current insurgency directly contests Pakistan’s capacity to deliver security in Balochistan. — Amira Jadoon, The Conversation, 13 May 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contests

Noun

As the diffusion of power fuels geopolitical rivalries, Americans are growing weary of entanglement in a fragmenting world.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Through schoolyard rivalries, neighborhood hustles, and family setbacks, Kev turns every disaster into a story.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Noun

Over time, the company has aggregated a combination of destinations, tournaments, leagues and camps, illustrating how physical facilities can anchor a broader participation business rather than function simply as real-estate assets.

— Chris Russo, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Five tournaments remain for players to finish in the top 100 and keep full status for 2027.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of tournaments

Noun

This leads to even more behind-the-scenes skirmishes laced with character-centric comedy, as opposing factions align.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Ties between the two countries remain strained over their long-running Himalayan border dispute, which erupted into a deadly skirmishes in 2020 that saw soldiers from both sides use rocks and iron rods in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of skirmishes

Noun

Victory extended Villa’s outstanding recent run to six wins from seven games in all competitions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Factor in other domestic competitions, and Belenenses has seven trophies in total, which is tied for the fifth-most in the nation.

— Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of competitions

Noun

The Kings won for the third time in their last four games — all on the road — after going winless over their first six games of the season.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
By running her streak to six consecutive games with at least three blocks, Stokes matched the WNBA postseason record set by Lisa Leslie in 2003.

— Reuters, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of games

Noun

Likewise, the student protests over the weekend expanded from education to other grievances — and featured dramatic scenes of looting and clashes with police.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
The unrest, fueled by anger over living costs and poor school conditions, included arson, clashes with police and looting; officials say curfews will continue where needed.

— Tom Nouvian, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of clashes

Verb

Adawag's defense attorney questions federal crackdown Adawag's attorney, Megan McLoughlin, said the case was unusual in her experience.

— Steve Large, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
It’s built through the steady work of listening to stakeholders, delivering on promises and telling a consistent story long before anyone questions it.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of questions

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“Contests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contests. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of contests

noun

verb

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