COMPETING Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

competing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of competing

as in competitive

having or marked by a strong desire to win or be better than others The competing salespeople were all trying to lure the same customers.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

competing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of compete

as in contending

to engage in a contest prizefighters competing for the world heavyweight championship

Synonyms & Similar 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 competing

Adjective

Truth is a public good Politics is not a seminar in absolute clarity, and competing claims are always part of the process. — Stephanie A, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2026 Like the Joker, O’Leary tends to give competing origin stories for his nickname. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026

Verb

Mention a competing system and some responses turn faintly territorial. — Puneet Gaur, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 In this final stretch, Ryan said, one of the biggest practical challenges has been competing with data centers for skilled union electricians, about 200 of whom are working on the site today. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for competing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for competing

Adjective

To be competitive in the industry, there has to be noise and vibration because that's what sports car buyers want.

— Morgan Korn, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
The Broncos, meanwhile, overcame a Week 1 loss to remain competitive, but have fallen behind the Chiefs and Raiders in the AFC West.

— Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of competitive

Verb

The win brings Houston to 1-1 in conference play and keeps their hopes of contending in the Big 12 alive.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Cruise is absolutely not at the top of the pack, as other stars who have yet to win an Oscar for their acting, like John Malkovich, Matt Damon, and Ryan Gosling, are in contending films that have broader appeal.

— Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of contending

Adjective

For comparison, shares of rival McDonald’s have tumbled 23% over the same period, although its market cap is still more than six times larger than Restaurant Brands’.

— Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Nielsen and a bevy of rival upstarts are all working to find new ways to capture all types of viewing.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of rival

Verb

Yemeni government forces – backed by Saudi airstrikes and a blockade of Houthi areas – started fighting the Houthis more than a decade ago.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
The Tigray Peace Force is fighting alongside federal troops against the TPLF.

— Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of fighting

Verb

Streets follows an East LA street racing crew thrust into a dangerous, high-stakes hunt across Southern California, where every turn presents a new clue and a potential disaster.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
As Garcia climbed through the ranks, racing around the country and eventually overseas, his father began picking the brains of veteran racers and sports psychologists.

— Tyler Carmona, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of racing

Adjective

Or why Georgia McCann, the hustling New York native, is shown working on her laptop from a bench in 180 Maiden Lane’s lobby.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
And so there are friends who are hustling, pivoting to influencing in an effort to get money, to try to figure out how to capitalize on this moment.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of hustling

Verb

In Congo, where the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, responders are battling some of the worst conditions imaginable.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
The story reimagines the former child stars as reluctant heroes battling a conspiracy that’s warping the very fabric of fame.

— Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of battling

Browse Nearby Words

competes

competing

competition

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Competing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competing. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of competing

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes