COMPETITION Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

competition

noun

ˌkäm-pə-ˈti-shən

Definition of competition

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

Relevance

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

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 There’s also concern that AI’s demand for these minerals put it in direct competition with sectors that are critical for reducing planet heating pollution, namely wind and solar energy. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 The playbook for any industry facing that kind of competition is not new. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Back then, Baier faced stiff competition within the network from straight-news anchors like Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026 The school is in the top 10 for the western division of the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights competition. — Laura Phillips, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for competition

Recent Examples of Synonyms for competition

Noun

Families spend thousands on travel teams, private lessons and tournaments.

— Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The campaign held a two-day event for forum members this month at a casino that included a video game tournament, panel discussions and speeches.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of tournament

Noun

Across its 35-season tenure, Dancing With the Stars has only had one All-Star season full of returning contestants.

— McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
This year, correspondent Luke Burbank attended the 65th annual competition, in which contestants were of a particularly slimy variety.

— David Morgan, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of contestant

Noun

The alleged rivalry between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle was seemingly dying down—but then Meghan and Prince Harry moved back to the UK.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2026
The group will confront old tensions and determine if these chapters can finally be closed, or if some rivalries are simply too deep to leave in the past.

— Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Noun

YouTube Europe boss Pedro Pina, a fixture at these events, reminded producers that the platform won’t take work away from them by entering the production game.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Her cousin, played by Azam Quadri, turns up without warning after 15 years away, and his visit brings back the events that once split the family.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of event

Noun

If Skydance increases spending on content, that could push its competitors to also invest more, Laurent Yoon, senior analyst at the research and brokerage firm Bernstein, told me.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Headquartered just outside Paris, the 128-year-old French giant is using this platform to prove that traditional European brands can out-innovate the incoming tide of Asian competitors.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of competitor

Noun

Still, when the measles outbreak erupted, Bangladesh responded swiftly and initially seemed to be winning the battle.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Policy Policy Your guide to the Supreme Court, federal courts, judicial nominations, and the legal battles shaping American policy.

— Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of battle

Noun

YouTube Europe boss Pedro Pina, a fixture at these events, reminded producers that the platform won’t take work away from them by entering the production game.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
The Peacock streaming platform shares its weekly exclusive games on YouTube.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of game

Noun

Trezavant Boyd and James Perrone are both contenders for the Nat Moore Trophy, an award recognizing South Florida's top high school football player.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Fest director Susan Koch is landing more and more top Oscar contenders and talent every year, as well as Oscar pundits to cover them.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of contender

Browse Nearby Words

competing

competition

competitions

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Competition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competition. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of competition

noun

Example Sentences

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