RIVALRY Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

rivalry

noun

ˈrī-vəl-rē

Definition of rivalry

as in competition

an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another a healthy rivalry in sports between the two schools

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 rivalry Victory cigars are one of the oldest traditions in the rivalry, going back almost 70 years to an Alabama trainer named Jim Goostree, who started handing them out after wins over Tennessee. — Austin Evans, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2026 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 The decades-old rivalry has favored United in the last seven meetings at Elland Road, but Leeds head into Sunday's clash in strong form, with two wins and three draws placing them 7th on the table. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 2026 Bill Snyder’s second-greatest football achievement as Kansas State’s legendary head coach, after magically transforming the nation’s most moribund program into a national contender, was to choke the life from his school’s biggest rivalry game. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rivalry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalry

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

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

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

The vote, which had been scheduled for last week, was delayed after two days of deliberations because of growing wariness among Egyptians concerned about an intervention in Yemen's long-running conflict.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
The risk of conflict is growing and the threat to the international economy is severe.

— Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of conflict

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

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

Noun

One matter of strong contention is Lee's opposition to the war in Gaza and her condemnation of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

— Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Those contentions — and Bartell’s claim of a second list of 17,000 potential noncitizen voters — only add to an already heated debate about the scope of the inquiry and its legitimacy.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of contention

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rivalrous

rivalry

rivals

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

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Synonyms of rivalry

noun

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