RIVALRIES Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

rivalries

noun

plural of rivalry

as in battles

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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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 rivalries 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 Death in Llanes K 2000, 100 Balas A real-life councillor’s murder fuels this SkyShowtime crime drama, where political rivalries and an unexpected love triangle drive the mystery. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 City's team bus has been targeted by Liverpool fans in the past as rivalries have grown between the teams. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 The Panthers and Broncos, who face off Friday for the 44th time in history, share one of the most storied rivalries in Georgia. — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026 At least for one day, one of the league’s great rivalries returns — with Kansas City remaining undefeated into its early bye. — Pete Sweeney october 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026 Future Housewives is set in the decadent asteroid colony of New Beverly Hills, where wealthy socialites juggle bioengineered beauty regimens, ruthless rivalries and interplanetary scandals. — Peter White, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026 But over the years, Bird of the Year has also become known for its fiercely competitive campaigns, tongue-in-cheek rivalries and occasional controversy. — Adam Pourahmadi, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivalries

Noun

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
That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud.

— Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of battles

Noun

Although the strategic consequences of their actions may ultimately benefit Iran in its own regional and international conflicts, the Houthis see their military campaign against Saudi Arabia chiefly as an act of national defense.

— Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Many of those executed were arrested in Derna and Benghazi cities during or after conflicts between the LNA and opposing armed groups between 2014 and 2018, according to the Wednesday report.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of conflicts

Noun

Getting access to sumo stables, wrestlers, their traditions, rituals and thinking and struggles can’t have been easy.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
The sketch took aim at reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, including plumbing issues and mental-health struggles among the crew during their extended deployment.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

In defence, his lack of physicality is becoming more glaring in a Premier League that is leaning more heavily than ever into duels, second balls and set pieces.

— Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
The noodles, the cheese, the topping, the consistency—duels have been fought over less.

— Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of duels

Noun

If last week’s Atlanta News First debate discouraged direct confrontations, Tuesday’s Atlanta Press Club showdown gave the two rivals room to unload on each other.

— Adam Beam, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined student protesters in France on Tuesday after weeks of violent confrontations with police, thousands of arrests and widespread school closures over demands for education reform.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of confrontations

Noun

To the extent these independent contentions were intended to imply that NBA rules permit teams, at the request of players, to initiate off-court income opportunities for players, that implication is incorrect.

— John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Many healthcare policy analysts disagree with these contentions about fraud, noting partisan politics have now become part of the dissemination of government reports.

— Robert Applebaum, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of contentions

Noun

Erik Prince and his private security teams were contracted by the US government during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, most remembered for Blackwater employees opening fire in Baghdad’s Nusoor Square, killing 17 Iraqi civilians.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
The march against wars and rising living costs began peacefully.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of wars

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rivaling

rivalries

rivalrous

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

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Synonyms of rivalries

noun

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