rival 1 of 3

1
as in equivalent
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
2
3
as in competitor
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

rival

2 of 3

adjective

rival

3 of 3

verb

as in to compete
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 rival
Noun
In at least one case, the governor has viewed an open presidential post as an opportunity to move a rival out of Tallahassee. Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025 Farley said if tariffs level the playing field in the States against foreign rivals, that's a good thing. Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Yet, there are major lessons here for rival studios in how Warner Bros, post Barbie, has been able to energize social media, and target digital ads, to create an unforeseen blockbuster. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025 The protests were met with rival rallies by left-wing parties and groups on the opposite side of Paris. Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
Scientists say the discovery rivals one of the largest discoveries of meteorites nearly 50 years prior. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2025 And the country’s oldest operational producer—Yerevan Brandy, named for the country’s capital—is exporting products that rival some of the world’s best aged grape spirits. David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rival
Noun
  • Just because of his style, Muhammad hasn't been much of a finisher to date in his MMA career, but he's got the kind of style that's great for breaking down opponents over time.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The Luddites weren’t mindless opponents of technology but had a clear logic to their actions—an essentially conservative one.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Among users of listings apps, Zillow commands 64% of all traffic, more than four times its closest competitor, Realtor.com.
    Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Lawyers for Meta told a federal judge on Monday that the social media company founded by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is not a monopoly, countering a landmark lawsuit brought against it by the Federal Trade Commission accusing the tech giant of gobbling up its competitors to corner the market.
    Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The addition of stunt design brings the total number of competitive categories to 25 — a thrilling signal that the Academy is embracing long-overdue change, driven not by trend, but by truth: These artists, who exist in every facet of our favorite movies, are essential to the storytelling process.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pulled off an impressive feat by announcing — without any heads-up — that its Board of Governors approved an annual competitive Academy Award for Achievement in Stunt Design.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Then the Fire, in an independent Central Hockey League, competed at the Fort Worth Convention Center from 1992 to 1999.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Photo of the day: The relief of sticking the landing Team USA star Jordan Chiles and the UCLA Bruins will compete for an NCAA title Saturday after advancing out of their semifinal session at the 2025 gymnastics championships in Fort Worth, Texas.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Slot shares this staple of Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglou’s attacking principles, with Porro adept at tucking inside to disrupt the opposition shape.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Social media platforms, podcasts, and Clubhouse discussions have become intellectual hubs where people engage with the works of Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault, Yuval Harari, and Slavoj Žižek and often with more intensity than their counterparts elsewhere.
    Rebecca Ruth Gould, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The foes have made constitutional claims, environmental claims, procedural claims.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Giant games ahead as IM plays CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals this Thursday at Vancouver and April 30 vs. the same foe in Fort Lauderdale, with an MLS home match vs. Dallas in between next Sunday.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Chicago Cubs have done a lot to shape their team into a postseason contender over the last few months, and, to this point, it's paid off quite well.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The fire broke out overnight after Shapiro, considered a potential presidential contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, and his family celebrated the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, competing services are on the launchpad, including from rival billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.
    Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Washington may face even greater competing crises today than in 2005, when Bush launched the country’s influenza strategy.
    Caitlin Rivers, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Rival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rival. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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