horse race

noun

Definition of horse racenext
1
as in ball game

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in photo finish

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse race
  1. ball game
  2. photo finish
  3. confrontation
  4. toss-up
  5. war
  6. duel
  7. combat
  8. contention
Noun
  • If Britney Spears can hire ghostwriters to help turn her partial memories into polished prose, why does asking ChatGPT to do the same thing feel like a whole other ball game?
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Log temples atop the mounds overlooked wide plazas for ball games, ceremonies, and open-air markets.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of ball game
Noun
  • The 29-year-old Lyles won gold in the 100 at Paris in a photo finish, narrowly edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and becoming the first American man to win the Olympic sprint since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
    — Zack Pierce, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This time the 11-10 favorite found himself on the wrong side of a five-horse photo finish.
    — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of photo finish
Noun
  • Anderson’s confrontation is part of a growing trend of actors voicing their concerns to theatergoers.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Vienna is about 130 miles south of Atlanta and about a 50-mile drive south on the Interstate 75 corridor from Macon, where 12 teenagers were wounded by gunfire during a confrontation at a birthday party last week at a city park.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of confrontation
Noun
  • The Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, where 19% of residents are young, is one of several toss-up races in the state.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The battleground race’s general election between el Sayed and Rogers is a virtual toss-up, one of several neck-and-neck contests across the Senate map that could influence whether Republicans maintain the majority.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of toss-up
Noun
  • Whether the military was properly prepared for treating its wounded in the current Iran war has become a sharp point of contention.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Dima Putiata, the former Ukrainian soldier, says what started in this war has already spread to other conflicts.
    — Greg Myre, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • And in the second half, the game turned into a duel between standout QBs each making his sixth college start.
    — PJ Green September 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Othani, who has won four MVP awards in five seasons, including one with the Los Angeles Angels, was considered the MVP front-runner most of the season, until the duel in the sun changed things.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of duel
Noun
  • Brazilian authorities adopted electronic voting machines in the 1990s to combat fraud.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Through quests, combat, exploration and cooperative adventures, players can forge their own paths through the medieval fantasy world of Gielinor.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of combat
Noun
  • As Florida continues its ascent back into the image of CFP contention, its ability to focus on the next test was the new challenge.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But — like the announcement of the city’s bounce from Olympic contention — the festival fizzled.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of contention
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.

Browse Nearby Words

horsepower
horse race
horse races
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Cite this Entry

“Horse race.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20race. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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