duel 1 of 2

noun

ˈdü-əl How to pronounce duel (audio)
Definition of duelnext
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another a duel for the title of captain of the team

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

duel

2 of 2

verb

as in to combat

Related Words

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 duel
Noun
As with many Latin American and African teams, Paraguay defend deep and are extremely physical in duels and aerial battles. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026 The drama had returned, Scheffler and Hovland resumed their duel, with Morikawa watching hopefully, but helplessly. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026
Verb
Mater Dei goalie Sienna Sorensen (USC) made nine saves to out-duel former Monarchs keeper Sunny Brown (Indiana), who had seven. — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025 In Black Panther, Killmonger’s father T’Chaka was killed by T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) father for smuggling vibranium out of Wakanda, prompting him to duel T’Challa for the throne. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for duel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duel
  1. rivalry
  2. combat
  3. battle
  4. fight
  5. struggle
  6. contend
  7. competition
  8. wrestle
Noun
  • The Pride and Angel City have established a fierce rivalry in their short history.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2026
  • Spain and Portugal renew their historic rivalry, with Lamine Yamal and Cristiano Ronaldo in contrasting lights.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of rivalry
Verb
  • In a press release, Bonta reiterated his commitment to combating hate in California, and said the data obtained are accessible and critical to stopping such crimes in the state.
    — Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Sourcing executives face a dual challenge—leveraging AI to combat rising tariffs and geopolitical shipping disruptions while also navigating a shifting, high-stakes regulatory compliance environment.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 2 July 2026
Definition of combat
Noun
  • True, nothing so grand as a massive dragon and naval battle took place, but seeing Rhaenyra start to change into someone almost unrecognizable from her younger, more innocent self was compelling in a deeper way.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • There have been naval battles and beheadings and aerial battles and, well, more beheadings.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Definition of battle
Verb
  • Two firefighters died from injures sustained while fighting the blaze.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • The action is set in the 1750s with Washington as a young man eager to fight, initially as a British officer in a period of complex loyalties.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 July 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • Clifford was impressed with Acuff’s ability to play through his early struggles.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026
  • Older students and professionals face an existential struggle to find a job, according to Yahya Alhamarna, a 24-year-old author displaced in Gaza City.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of struggle
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
Noun
  • Its young people are increasingly educated and ambitious but many are frustrated over fierce competition for limited jobs.
    — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • In an interview with Mental Floss, competitive eater Yasir Salem discusses how speed eaters will chew gum to strengthen their jaws to avoid fatigue during competitions.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of competition
Verb
  • Tempers flared late in the fourth quarter when Kings center Dylan Cardwell and Nets guard Egor Demin wrestled for a loose ball.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026
  • Officials throughout the state have tried to wrestle with the gray area e-bikes occupy — faster than humans strolling on the greenbelt but not quite at the same level as cars and trucks.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2026
Definition of wrestle

Browse Nearby Words

due
duel
dueled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on duel

Nglish: Translation of duel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about duel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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 (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All