competitions

noun

plural of competition
1
as in tournaments
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

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2
as in contestants
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
3
as in rivalries
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 competitions Contrast that with eventual EFL champions Coventry City (48 in 49 in all competitions) and Championship runners-up Ipswich Town (50 in 49). — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026 The discourse has spanned from high school sports to international competitions and pro leagues like the WNBA, where a pair of male former NBA players are currently claiming to identify as women to pressure a more definitive policy. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2026 The Premier League is one of the biggest competitions in sports, with its teams now largely owned by oil-rich gulf states or private equity. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 The Boys in Gold are also unbeaten in three of their last four meetings against Miami across all competitions, eliminating them from the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 on away goals earlier this season. — Michelle Kaufman august 14, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026 Across all competitions, Reid-Brown made nine appearances for Orlando City SC, making his first team and Major League Soccer debut against Inter Miami on March 2, 2025. — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026 Highlights include Harbor Showdown and Street Eats with competitions and local food vendors. — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026 Dern’s ground game is unparalleled, evidenced by her numerous gold medals in international jiu-jitsu and submission grappling competitions before focusing on an MMA career in 2016. — Brian Martin, Oc Register, 13 Aug. 2026 In ancient Greece, athletic competitions began when boys turned 12. — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competitions
  1. tournaments
  2. contestants
  3. rivalries
  4. events
  5. competitors
  6. battles
  7. games
  8. contenders
Noun
  • The departure symbolizes opportunity, even more so now that the women’s and men’s tournaments are sold separately.
    — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • European leaders have even floated a boycott of FIFA events, while execs behind closed doors are plotting rival tournaments that could leave Infantino on the outside looking in before the next election cycle.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of tournaments
Noun
  • Higgins was joined by Rausch and fellow Season 4 contestants Monét X Change, Tara Lipinski, Lisa Rinna, Rob Cesternino and Eric Nam for the Deadline conversation.
    — The Deadline Team, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The finale features four contestants competing on an American Ninja Warrior–style course, and the other 116 competitors lined up behind them in patriotic jerseys.
    — Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of contestants
Noun
  • Dynastic rivalries, regional rebellions, economic disruption, and the demographic effects of the Black Death all undermined imperial authority.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Professional sports have always thrived on heroes, villains, rivalries and grievances.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of rivalries
Noun
  • Still, the investigation into his murder had seemed to grow so cold that even many close to the events of that night believed the case would never be solved, much less prosecuted.
    — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • There have been concerns about safety at these large-scale events.
    — Paul Burton, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of events
Noun
  • Mahnken said that Disney has one advantage over its competitors, even in an uncertain economy.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Klobuchar handily won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary Tuesday with no major competitors.
    — Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of competitors
Noun
  • Teams earned points by winning weekly head-to-head battles – tugging a sled across the field the fastest, surviving a heated game of dodgeball – and by simply doing the right thing.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • More recently, the legal battles became the subject of barbs and jokes as comedian Bill Maher accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in late June.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of battles
Noun
  • Sir Bobby Charlton’s 758-games appearance record for Manchester United was long considered insurmountable.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Arike Ogunbowale added 17 while Alanna Smith had 13 and five rebounds for the Wings, who lost for the fifth time in six games.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of games
Noun
  • The six join previously announced Golden Shell contenders from Roberto Bueso, Nicole Garcia, Mikel Gurrea, Maha Harada, Pablo Larraín, Mike Leigh, Hans Petter Moland, Benjamín Naishtat, Javier Ruiz Caldera and Yeşim Ustaoğlu.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Cubs have stabilized after a roller-coaster ride the first three months and are now serious World Series contenders with the Los Angeles Dodgers proving fallible.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of contenders

Browse Nearby Words

competition
competitions
competitive
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Cite this Entry

“Competitions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competitions. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on competitions

Nglish: Translation of competitions for Spanish Speakers

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