CONTESTS Synonyms: 161 Similar and Opposite Words

contests 1 of 2

noun

plural of contest

as in rivalries

an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the eternal contest between the forces of good and the forces of evil

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as in tournaments

a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize a contest for the gold medal in diving

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as in skirmishes

a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups what mighty contests have been waged on trivial matters

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truces

contests

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of contest

as in challenges

to demand proof of the truth or rightness of vowed to contest the claim in court

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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 contests

Noun

Where Iran ads are most prevalent While the Iran war ads made up about 5% of the total TV spots aired across the competitive races, some contests leaned into the topic heavily. — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 While the Iran war ads made up about 5% of the total TV spots aired across the competitive races, some contests leaned into the topic heavily. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 The economics of those contests, however, couldn’t be more different. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Key region contests and big South Georgia showdowns headline Friday night’s slate. — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Battles over voter rolls, citizenship and federal authority There are secretary of state contests in 26 states this November. — Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 Seth Jones logged two assists as the Panthers won consecutive contests for the first time this season. — John Devine, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 However, height and rated generating capacity are different contests. — New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026 Larger-than-life Halloween celebrations rise up every October like the Great Pumpkin (or a benevolent spooky spirit or two) to captivate visitors with parades, caramel apples, costume contests, and more. — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026

Verb

In giving form to their resistance to Bicentennial events, the anti-catalog retrospectively contests any national fascia union in aesthetics, even though the role of the state was a spine. — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 The threat posed by the Greens will be tested next week when the party’s leader, Zack Polanski, contests an election to become the next Member of Parliament (MP) in London’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency – Starmer’s seat for over a decade. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026 The previous winning country contests a challenger country, and yacht clubs compete against each other to represent their respective countries. — Madeleine Kashkooli, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The family’s future is in limbo as Jeanie Buss contests her five siblings’ plans to sell their remaining stake of the team. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Water and Oxygen Disruption Phillips also contests the notion that weed fabrics are as breathable as they're advertised to be. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 21 May 2026 The current insurgency directly contests Pakistan’s capacity to deliver security in Balochistan. — Amira Jadoon, The Conversation, 13 May 2026 Here, Sarr successfully contests a 13-foot floater by Tyler Kolek. — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 The high court’s decision did not address the underlying merits of the lawsuit, which contests the Department of Homeland Security’s revocation policy. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contests

Noun

Fans care about rivalries among teams made up of students who generally progress through college and exhaust their eligibility alongside their classmates, rather than athletes whose college careers extend well beyond the traditional timeline.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
There are a few big rivalries in the NFL, but almost none have as much history as Chicago and Green Bay.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Noun

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

— Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Schools that advance in the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, for example, receive a greater share of NCAA revenue.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of tournaments

Noun

This leads to even more behind-the-scenes skirmishes laced with character-centric comedy, as opposing factions align.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Ties between the two countries remain strained over their long-running Himalayan border dispute, which erupted into a deadly skirmishes in 2020 that saw soldiers from both sides use rocks and iron rods in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of skirmishes

Verb

An annual competition called BabyLM challenges researchers to train models on a child’s diet of words.

— Charles Yeomans, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
The team had to balance weight and waterproofing as well as figure out successful take off and landing in water, which reflects light and challenges the sensors used in most consumer drones to gauge distance from the ground.

— Max Cea, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of challenges

Noun

The Dodgers will have home-field advantage for the next three games, needing to win four of the next five to return to the World Series.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Penix missed the first two games of the regular season recovering from Achilles tendon surgery last November, during which the Falcons lost twice and the offense did not enter the red zone in either game.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of games

Noun

However, more than a year later, clashes continue in eastern Congo, and experts say negotiations will become even more complicated with Kabila in a leadership position.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Main roads leading Yemen’s third-largest city have been closed amid rebel attacks, with regular clashes on the outskirts and overnight bombardment.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of clashes

Verb

But when adolescent Elia Gheorghiu shows up at school with bruises, the community questions the traditional education the Gheorghiu yougsters are getting from their parents.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
Whereas Riis uses documentation to expose, Rosler questions conventional representation.

— J. Hoberman, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of questions

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“Contests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contests. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of contests

noun

verb

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