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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Our beloved former cartoonist Michael Crawford once perfectly captured the complicated emotional nature of the rivalry. — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026 Damion is convinced that Julia’s sudden inheritance is a mistake, and their rivalry only gets more complicated when romantic feelings start to arise. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026 Mars will be in Leo all month, and the tense standoff between Mars and Pluto will exacerbate an existing rivalry and entrench a growing conflict rather than de-escalate it. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026 Thus, the relationship between gossip columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper (itself the subject of George Eells’s 1971 dual biography, Hedda and Louella) was at first a symbiotic friendship and then a brutal rivalry. — Lindsey Weber, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rivalry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalry

Noun

Decisions about industrial policy, infrastructure, public spending, and competition increasingly have to account not only for emissions but climate risk.

— Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
But could Cruise use his movie star promotion power to get himself into the best-actor Oscar competition, despite the film suffering from tepid reviews and a possibly paltry box office?

— Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

Chinese media reported that PLA forces deployed Type 99A main battle tanks alongside drones, uncrewed ground vehicles and helicopters.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Alabama and Mississippi State battle, and Underdog is offering new users a chance to use promo code FOXNEWS to earn up to $100 in bonus bets on a $5 wager.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of battle

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

Both residents and politicians fear the court ruling would tarnish Kosovo's independence struggle.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Evidence at the crime scene led investigators to believe there had likely been a struggle between Feldman and her killer leading up her death, suggesting that Feldman had fought hard.

— Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

With the whizbang action long in the series’ rearview, this quiet road trip proves its emotional centerpiece, as Noah confesses both his true nature and his desire to be better — the conflict of his programming.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
The decision marks a dramatic reversal, after Ethiopian and Eritrean forces united in fighting the TPLF during the previous conflict.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

Gallium nitride, on the other hand, is suited to high-frequency applications, including communications equipment, radar and electronic warfare systems.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
For the first few years of the war in Ukraine, Russia’s hybrid warfare attacks in Europe remained just below the threshold that might trigger a collective response.

— Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of warfare

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

rivalrous

rivalry

rivals

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

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Synonyms of rivalry

noun

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