competition

noun

ˌkäm-pə-ˈti-shən How to pronounce competition (audio)
Definition of competitionnext
1
as in tournament
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize a competition between two fierce football rivals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in contestant
one who strives for the same thing as another tried to analyze his major competition in the tennis tournament

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the intense competition for bragging rights to being the city's best French restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 competition So do the three non-golf professional athletes have a side competition? — Ren Clayton, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 This year’s Miss Teen USA competition was hosted by former Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt, who made headlines for her resignation back in May 2024. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026 In the Veto competition, La Trice was victorious and took herself off the block. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026 The partnership struggled in later years with intense competition from Sephora’s partnership with Kohl’s and more recently Amazon’s push into prestige beauty. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for competition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competition
  1. tournament
  2. contestant
  3. rivalry
  4. event
  5. competitor
  6. battle
  7. game
  8. contender
Noun
  • Player of the Week Senior outside hitter Quinn Grevengoed tallies 92 kills and 15 aces in seven matches and then is named MVP for host Chicago Christian as Knights take tournament title for first time since 2014.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On the flipside, three other golfers with ties to Baltimore — Phil Fairbanks of Columbia, Tom Winegardner of Lothian and Richard Sovero of Catonsville — fell outside of the Top 64, ending their stay in the tournament.
    — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of tournament
Noun
  • Fifty-one contestants — one representative from each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia — vied for the crown.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Brandi is a successful podcaster, co-hosting Your Favorite Things with Wells Adams (former Bachelorette contestant and husband of actress Sarah Hyland).
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of contestant
Noun
  • Nattie challenged Jaida Parker to a submission match for Heatwave as their rivalry turned up a notch.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The handlers may represent rival schools, but those rivalries tend to stop at the kennel, pasture or habitat gate, especially when another mascot is sick, retiring or in need of support.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of rivalry
Noun
  • August's payrolls report, out Friday, will be the main event for economic data.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • At one of the first promotional events, Bullock briefly chatted about her time on the Miss Congeniality franchise.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of event
Noun
  • The only difference is that, after this race, some of the competitors collapsed to the floor with sparks flying from their insides while safety officials charged over to attend to them with fire extinguishers.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The remaining 30% of the settlement value is contingent on Meta’s competitors, YouTube and TikTok, agreeing to similar design changes and payments.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of competitor
Noun
  • The only intrigue at offensive line was the backup center battle between Hudson and Patrick.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Naturally, with three more Salt Lake City wives at the Alter Ego Party, Gizelle is ready to further investigate why Lisa is in a battle with her whole cast.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • The team hoped undrafted second-year player Tyler Batty could contribute, too, but Batty tore his ACL last Friday in the team’s final preseason game against the Denver Broncos.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The game, originally scheduled for last Friday, was full of yellow flags.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of game
Noun
  • Here’s a closer look at the remaining meetings between division contenders.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The schedule ahead will brings more challenges; the Dragons face championship contenders North Crowley and Allen before District 4-6A play.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of contender

Browse Nearby Words

competing
competition
competitions
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Cite this Entry

“Competition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competition. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on competition

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about competition

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