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

Davis has previously alleged that, amid mushrooming violence between the two groups, Combs had offered Davis a bounty on the lives of his rivals, Knight and Shakur. — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 That goal for Celtic not only helped secure a win against their biggest rivals, but also helped them over the line to clinch the Scottish Premiership title by two points. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026 But in 1920, the team sold Ruth to their rivals, the New York Yankees. — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026 Alibaba has bolstered that cycle by distributing Qwen through its cloud platform to enterprise customers in markets including Southeast Asia and Africa, giving it a reach that many rivals lack. — Saritha Rai, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026 An 8-5 record in year one did little to quell those grumblings, and the recruiting was stagnating behind other SEC rivals like Alabama and LSU. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Investors are concerned about how much time people are spending on Netflix compared with rivals like YouTube. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The race for the Democratic nomination is fast becoming crowded with a pack of possible rivals for the former Chicago mayor that are polling far higher than him, including Govs. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 9 Aug. 2026 Season 1 followed the secret romance of Ilya and Shane, two upcoming hockey superstars and fierce on-ice rivals. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026

Verb

Atletico have been courting Romero for over a year and are a far better option than the prospect of selling him to rivals Arsenal. — Jay Harris, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026 One important sidenote is that City has been set a Friday 5pm UK deadline by Premier League rivals Chelsea to sign Enzo Fernandez. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026 Even from this vantage point, current forecasts still point to an event that rivals the strongest ever observed. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Although denim can be quite rigid for travel or long in-office days, Quince’s options happen to be uniquely stretchy and soft, with premium construction that rivals brands triple the price. — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026 Or will Big Ten rivals Ohio State or Oregon push the Hoosiers aside? — Erick Smith, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 Rick Jackson’s spending rivals national mega groups battling for control of Congress. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 31 July 2026 The fandom rivals that of the Swifties, Beyhive, or Marvel enthusiasts. — Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 31 July 2026 The insole provides maximum support that rivals even the most expensive sneakers, and the material is sweat-wicking, too. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivals

Noun

Mark McCrindle, a social researcher and principal in McCrindle Research who is credited with coining the Gen Alpha and Gen Beta terms, said the next generation won’t follow the path of Gen Alpha counterparts.

— Faye Brookman, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Just like their younger counterparts, midlife women are also dealing with fellow singles who don’t want to commit.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of counterparts

Noun

Her decision to run in the district drew criticism from her four Black opponents and other Black Democrats who have already been impacted by Republican redistricting efforts in southern states.

— Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
The group included 13 Republicans and three Democrats, while several incumbents without general election opponents secured their return to the House.

— Sergio Candido, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of opponents

Noun

Though Unitree is profitable, unlike most of its competitors, its products are mainly being sold to universities and research institutions rather than being used commercially.

— Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 19 Aug. 2026
Mohammed Zahidullah, chief sustainability officer at DBL Group, warned that Bangladesh risks losing orders to competitors including India, Pakistan and Vietnam as those sourcing markets move more quickly to adopt renewable energy.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of competitors

Verb

Amazon is also continuing to invest in its warehouses, smaller fulfillment centers closer to customers and its fleet of trucks as the company competes to deliver packages within minutes or hours instead of just days.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Čihař competes hard, engages in physical play and gets to the net to create offense in a way that should translate to higher levels.

— Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of competes

Noun

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
His buyback calculation is based on a regulatory filing Berkshire made in July tied to Chairman Warren Buffett’s charitable stock donation, which disclosed his economic ownership of the company’s Class A share equivalents.

— Yun Li, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of equivalents

Noun

Over the course of the 95-minute run time, Cole will also deploy knives, a fire ax, a fishing spear, various firearms, and his very capable fists to take out foes, but the lock marks a high point in terms of situation-specific ingenuity.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
The preseason pollsters like Big Ten foes Ohio State and Oregon better.

— Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of foes

Noun

For Buttigieg and other potential contenders, winning the support of this group that makes up a majority of South Carolina’s Democratic electorate is essential.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Supporters are circulating clips of Ossoff’s speeches, debating his prospects against other potential 2028 Democratic contenders and increasingly comparing his trajectory with Obama’s rapid rise from the Senate to the White House.

— Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of contenders

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rivalry

rivals

rive

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Style

“Rivals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivals. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rivals

noun

verb

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