1
as in equivalent
one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value
a design that is a rival to any produced by a professional graphic artist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in opponent
one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict
the boxer's toughest rival thus far
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in competitor
one who strives for the same thing as another
the four cities that are the top rivals for the site of the next Olympic Games
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in competitive
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rival
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
However, this came after the TV Academy ended a four-year deal with ABC (following six years on Fox) early when rivals vowed to boycott the ceremony.
—
Peter White,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
Danny Horn,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 July 2026
Freedom 250, an organization aligned with the White House, has come to rival America250, a bipartisan group founded by Congress a decade ago.
—
Steven Sloan,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2026
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
That means Google’s data center energy usage rivals the electricity consumption of entire countries such as New Zealand, Denmark, and Nigeria.
—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for rival
Noun
Never mind the Celtics and Sixers are longtime and bitter rivals.
—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
However, this came after the TV Academy ended a four-year deal with ABC (following six years on Fox) early when rivals vowed to boycott the ceremony.
—
Peter White,
Deadline,
2 July 2026
Adjective
After the medical drama ended, Laurie returned to his comedy roots with a recurring role on Veep, developing a fiercely antagonistic chemistry with Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer as her running mate/rival/occasional bedfellow.
—
Danny Horn,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 July 2026
Freedom 250, an organization aligned with the White House, has come to rival America250, a bipartisan group founded by Congress a decade ago.
—
Steven Sloan,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2026
Verb
Gas stations have been reinventing themselves for the past decade with food offerings that rival many established grub-only chains.
—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
That means Google’s data center energy usage rivals the electricity consumption of entire countries such as New Zealand, Denmark, and Nigeria.
—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for rival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rival
Noun
-
The center of Super Typhoon Bavi, the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, was passing over Rota, an island of 2,000 people in the Northern Mariana Islands.
-
In fact, the ratio is typical of that found on the outer edge of planet-forming discs around young stars, implying 3I/ATLAS formed a long way out from its parent star, perhaps in the equivalent of its Kuiper belt.
Noun
-
Ronaldo’s elbow looked far more intentional, and egregious, than Balogun’s play that happened in the context of a player battling for a ball against an opponent with his foot.
-
Other opponents include Planned Parenthood, the California School Boards Assn.
Noun
-
Joby has been in a fierce battle to be the first with taxis in the sky with its Northern California competitor Archer Aviation.
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Plaintiffs claimed that Disney’s carriage agreements required streaming platforms to include ESPN in base channel packages, limiting the ability of competitors to offer cheaper bundles.
Adjective
-
For sure, the old philosophy that all athletes with heart conditions should not play competitive sports is outdated and not correct.
-
Under owner Arte Moreno, the Angels have resisted rebuilding, preferring to add lower-tier free agents and rush college players to the major leagues in an effort to field a competitive roster.
Verb
-
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.
-
There are two possible, competing ways in which dust can affect the Alfvén waves, which in turn could determine how energy is dumped into the corona, heating it.
Noun
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After recently joining the brand ambassadorship craze by naming Spanish music sensation Bad Gyal as their brand’s first ambassador, the Dsquared2 founders are adding a male counterpart to this new strategy by tapping another local talent.
-
Unlike larger corporate counterparts, SMEs don't always have the financial reserves to comfortably absorb geopolitical upheaval and rapid inflation.
Noun
-
Unrestricted free agents Marcus Smart, 32, and Luke Kennard, 30, agreed to deals with Western Conference foes.
-
There is so much evil and suffering in the world, so much conniving and malicious intent, and the self is, at least, a familiar foe.
Noun
-
The East's hierarchy is now fluid, with the Sixers emerging as serious contenders, though the Celtics remain a formidable force.
-
If allowed to run, Le Pen is widely seen as a top contender to succeed centrist President Emmanuel Macron in the 2027 election.
Cite this Entry
“Rival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rival. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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