DOGFIGHT Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

dogfight

noun

ˈdȯg-ˌfīt

Definition of dogfight

as in rivalry

an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the playful competition over who would get the new office turned into a real dogfight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dogfight Miami-Dade is facing a trash crisis after the main waste facility burned down and replacing it turned into a political dogfight. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 Its open world feels alive with bustling cities, dangerous deserts, and space dogfights. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026 There’s also a four-player battle mode where players can team up as Star Fox or the evil Star Wolf team and engage in massive dogfights through space. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 June 2026 Dassault’s Mirage fighter – and more recently the Rafale – can creep into enemy airspace, dogfight, drop bombs and launch cruise missiles. — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dogfight

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfight

Noun

The Jets have the home-field advantage in the rivalry game and have more experienced veterans on the roster while in the second year of coach Glenn’s regime, as Miami is in its first year under coach Jeff Hafley.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
An in-state rivalry between two California teams tips off tonight.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Noun

The leader, facing a tough re-election battle, has focused much of his campaign ahead of Tuesday’s vote on security.

— Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
By focusing on the battles fought in luxury department stores, fashion shows, high-end spas, nail salons, and the home, the film illustrated just how limited even privileged women’s options were.

— Raymond Ang, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of battle

Noun

When an ingenious serial killer begins murdering Minneapolis citizens, Davenport, a brilliant polymath and unconventional investigator, takes the case, sparking an intense psychological duel with an equally intelligent adversary.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Snell opened the seventh by walking Andrew Vaughn and losing an 11-pitch duel to Bauers, who won the battle with a two-run homer.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of duel

Noun

Now, Tan-Gillespie is tasked with getting KFC’s American business back on track as the brand faces growing competition paired with more health-conscious and cash-strapped consumers.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Still, some market participants see reason for hope in a market bludgeoned this year over worries about rising prices, tensions in the Middle East and stiff competition from artificial intelligence hyperscalers flooding the market with debt.

— Jeff Cox, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

Jurors also heard about Garza’s previous run-ins with law enforcement — and his family’s struggles to get help from the county with his mental health.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
The folk tradition, especially, connected her to international Black freedom movements that emphasized labor conditions as a key part of the struggle.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

During the first years of the war, Russia’s nuclear muscle flexing and hybrid warfare failed to prevent Ukraine’s allies from funneling financial support, military aid, and targeting intelligence to Kyiv.

— Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026
Russian electronic warfare may have diverted the drone during a Ukrainian operation against legitimate military targets in Russia, ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said in a statement.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of warfare

Noun

While Healey is expected to let a reduction in his fiscal buffer do most of the work on the basis that the Iran war has blown a hole in his accounts, tax increases are still likely.

— Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
In March, the Pentagon reportedly began shipping Patriot and THAAD components from South Korea to the Middle East to support the Iran war.

— Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

Iran and Saudi Arabia represent competing religious ideologies and have been locked in a regional rivalry for decades, culminating in an outright confrontation earlier this year after the US and Israel launched a war on the Islamic Republic.

— Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Not through confrontation, but through sensitivity, through encounter and through the possibility of listening to one another.

— Ed Meza, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of confrontation

Browse Nearby Words

dogfaces

dogfight

dogfights

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfight. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dogfight

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on dogfight

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes