RIVALS Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

rivals 1 of 2

noun

plural of rival

as in counterparts

one that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value a design that is a rival to any produced by a professional graphic artist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in opponents

one that takes a position opposite another in a competition or conflict the boxer's toughest rival thus far

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in competitors

one who strives for the same thing as another the four cities that are the top rivals for the site of the next Olympic Games

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

noncompetitors

rivals

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rival

as in competes

to engage in a contest two longtime friends who have rivaled for the same things at every stage of their lives

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 rivals

Noun

Casemiro and Messi, fierce rivals when Casemiro was at Real Madrid and Messi at Barcelona, celebrated together, a rare sight for longtime La Liga fans. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026 Walmart had been slow to adopt tap-to-pay compared with rivals. — Kimberly Tutuska, Charlotte Observer, 30 Aug. 2026 In an era when conferences increasingly lack regional ties, the fanfare and excitement of annual battles between old rivals is on the decline. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Both companies will deliver results on the heels of rivals that raised the bar, with Nvidia preceding Broadcom and CrowdStrike as the appetizer for Palo Alto. — Kevin Stankiewicz,zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026 That means the Bombers own a three-game lead over Boston for the American League’s top Wild Card spot with the arch rivals set to play three more games this weekend. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026 The rivals traded blows in the eighth and ninth before the granite chin of Hrgovic won out. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 Like its closest rivals Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video, which recently announced a $2 billion-plus investment in the region, HBO Max continues to invest in local programming in a bid to boost viewership and audience engagement. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 This squad has tremendous depth relative to their Serie A rivals. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Verb

Add a second Kit and a pair of armrests and you’ve got an actual sofa that rivals an adult version—especially in the charming floral print. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 31 Aug. 2026 The Rams’ Opening Night game this Thursday is against longtime NFC West rivals the San Francisco 49ers on Netflix. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2026 Available in 45 sweatproof and transfer-resistant shades, this buildable formula easily rivals your most expensive foundation. — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026 Apple is forecasted to ship more than 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027, according to research firm IDC , grabbing a 40% share in the segment that rivals like Huawei and Samsung have dominated for years. — Jeff Marks,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 The San Francisco 49ers will take on their former Bay Area rivals the Las Vegas Raiders in the final game of the 2026 NFL preseason on Thursday in Sin City. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 Boise rivals the Bay Area in rental rate increases this year, with monthly prices rising at a pace not seen since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic boom. — Mark Dee august 26, Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2026 Larger rivals Sibanye-Stillwater and Impala Platinum have ruled themselves out of the process, according to the mining publication Miningmx. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Instead of Premier League champions Arsenal, the forward joined London rivals Chelsea for a club-record £117m as the marquee signing of a summer rebuild under new manager Xabi Alonso. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivals

Noun

And while the hotel was certainly a different kind of spectacle—tamer and more refined than its Cafe counterparts—there was always another corner left to discover, or a new extension to look forward to on the next visit.

— Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
There are lots of brands that have worked to give us beautiful soft mattes that glide onto lids and don’t feel patchy or heavy like their previous counterparts.

— Elle Turner, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of counterparts

Noun

But by defending in this way, Chelsea are giving smart opponents the advantage in the battle for possession.

— Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
But neither opponents nor his own Labour Party legislators have been able to grill him on the details of pledges made against the tough backdrop of mounting security challenges and economic pressure from the Iran war.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of opponents

Noun

The season brings back the franchise’s ‘Cutthroat’ format, splitting 24 competitors into three teams battling for a share of $500,000.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Look at how competitors communicate their value, answer customer questions, appear in search, structure digital journeys and guide prospects toward conversion.

— James Fratzke, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of competitors

Verb

The 2026 Honda Pilot competes against rivals like the Toyota Grand Highlander and Kia Telluride.

— Charles Singh, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Their case counts wide-release theatrical movies and the basic cable bundle, and leaves out streaming, YouTube, sports rights, and everything else that now competes for the same hours of your evening.

— Shubha Ghosh, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of competes

Noun

Down the line, the cofounders will eventually add in affiliate links from programs like ShopMy and other equivalents.

— Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
OpenRouter's Justin Summerville told the network that open Chinese models can run 60% to 90% cheaper than the leading Anthropic and OpenAI equivalents.

— Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of equivalents

Noun

Only five of their 2026 opponents had winning records last season, and their nine league opponents combined for a 28-53 record against Big Ten foes.

— Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
But this season, their division foes haven’t gotten any easier, and the rest of the league is out to test whether quarterback Sam Darnold can maintain last season’s star-worthy production.

— NBC Sports, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of foes

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 contenders

Verb

In its breathless finale, Curry races through the mansion reconstructing every murder, flinging himself through doors and corridors while maintaining the verbal precision of a stage actor performing at double speed.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Finn Gomez / Getty Images Kirkwood, who races for Andretti Global, started second but took the lead on the opening lap with a daring maneuver around the outside of pole-sitter and championship leader Alex Palou in front of the National Archives.

— Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of races

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rivalry

rivals

rive

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Rivals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivals. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rivals

noun

verb

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