duels 1 of 2

noun

plural of duel
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another a duel for the title of captain of the team

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

duels

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of duel
as in battles

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 duels
Noun
In defence, his lack of physicality is becoming more glaring in a Premier League that is leaning more heavily than ever into duels, second balls and set pieces. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The noodles, the cheese, the topping, the consistency—duels have been fought over less. — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026 Patrick Smith / Getty Images The Shelton-Alcaraz epic now stands as the latest finish in the history of the New York tournament, which is increasingly known for its overnight duels. — Max Burman, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026 Cherry went 74 minutes in Sunday’s loss to Racing Louisville, recording four defensive clearances and winning three of her four aerial duels as Angel City lost for the first time in four games. — Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duels
  1. rivalries
  2. battles
  3. confrontations
  4. fights
  5. competitions
  6. combats
  7. struggles
  8. contends
Noun
  • Then again, this is part of what makes college football rivalries so great.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Panthers and Broncos, who face off Friday for the 44th time in history, share one of the most storied rivalries in Georgia.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of rivalries
Verb
  • Harald’s death comes as Charles battles an undisclosed type of cancer.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Pitt stars as a former Special Forces officer who battles the elements with his combat dog, named Odin.
    — Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of battles
Noun
  • The war’s repercussions have spread across the Middle East, including conflict in Lebanon and confrontations involving Iran and the United States, while Israel faces a divisive election and questions over security failures.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Three Colombian former soldiers were killed during the confrontations, including a co-leader of the squad.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of confrontations
Verb
  • Gemma, still recovering from her injury, fights her impulses and stays on the sideline.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The path of regulation In 2022, the Congressional Budget Office distilled decades of health care policy fights into a single PowerPoint slide.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fights
Noun
  • Vidio’s original slate now tops 110 series, and the platform carries more than 70 global and national sports competitions, among them Wimbledon, Formula 1 and MotoGP.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Jeff Richardson, the Galleria’s senior general manager, said Great Big Game Show is coming to the Galleria, bringing game-show-style competitions to Roseville.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of competitions
Verb
  • How Wisconsin combats loneliness Sampson said re-establishing connection to other people can often be a trial-and-error process.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • This also delivers intense hydration and barrier support that combats thin, dry, crepey skin.
    — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of combats
Noun
  • Sallitt depicts Jackie’s personal and professional struggles as specific hiccups that might manifest for anybody.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Miami’s figuring out who has the mental makeup to survive the struggles.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggles
Verb
  • Her parents' lawsuit contends the military did not sign off on the work; the soldiers were freelancing as security guards to make some extra money on the side.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Thursday’s lawsuit contends that the administration simply made the change on its own without giving proper notice.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of contends

Browse Nearby Words

dueling
duels
duende
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Cite this Entry

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

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