1
as in competition
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the eternal contest between the forces of good and the forces of evil
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tournament
a competitive encounter between individuals or groups carried on for amusement, exercise, or in pursuit of a prize
a contest for the gold medal in diving
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3
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
what mighty contests have been waged on trivial matters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to challenge
to demand proof of the truth or rightness of
vowed to contest the claim in court
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contest
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2025
Rubio was a fierce Trump critic during the contest for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
Brian Mazique, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
His hand placement when contesting shots in the paint has room for improvement.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for contest 
Noun
Plus, a costume contest and drinks and snacks in a warming tent.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2025
Rubio was a fierce Trump critic during the contest for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
Verb
When Edwards and Maddalena clash, the fight could be contested in a variety of ways.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
His hand placement when contesting shots in the paint has room for improvement.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for contest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contest
Noun
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Howe’s men will share the club record of nine consecutive victories across all competitions with Kevin Keegan’s vintage (May to September 1994) and Rafa Benitez’s Championship-winning side (September to November 2016).—
Chris Waugh,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
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Making better use of A.I., Mr. Burns said, is crucial to the U.S. competition with China.—
Julian E. Barnes,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
And festivals—not to mention tennis tournaments—require food.—
Tim Newcomb,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Tennis Australia first experimented with this on one court during last year’s tournament, hoping to attract gamers and a younger audience to the sport.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Navigating the map from an overworld view, akin to looking at a tabletop game from above, leads to quicker, bite-sized skirmishes, optional short objectives, and requests from characters that build up your bonds.—
Diego Argüello,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2025
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There’s usually not even time for trash talk between opponents; that has to wait for the inevitable post-whistle skirmish.—
Mark Lazerus,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The order directs the Bureau of Prisons to halt the use of federal dollars for gender-affirming care, something several incarcerated trans people have successfully challenged in court.—
Brooke Migdon,
The Hill,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Sarah Ferguson is recalling the shock of navigating two cancer diagnoses within one year after the challenging chapter.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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While opposed by every government in the region, ISIS-K has exploited insecurity and international rivalries to entrench itself as one of the world's deadliest and most unpredictable non-state actors in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
-
But Kendrick did not have to straddle a white-hot rivalry like Velazquez.—
Matt Baker,
The Athletic,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The event comes as an Arctic blast affects more than half the U.S. population.—
Aïda Amer,
Axios,
22 Jan. 2025
-
While Musk was busy rubbing elbows with other billionaires at the event — namely, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Bezos' fiancée, Lauren Sanchez — all eyes were on Musk and Zilis' interaction, as the two keep their exact relationship status private.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Personal battles Trump, who has been convicted by a jury of his peers and was indicted four times after his first term, referred to his legal troubles during his speech.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
20 Jan. 2025
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In a YouTube video released in October, Jake Paul announced his endorsement for Trump for the 2024 election and drew a bold comparison between the president-elect's legal battles and the historic struggles of America's Founding Fathers.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Senate Committees are set to question six of Donald Trump’s top appointees over their priorities and positions on issues of war, spycraft, electric cars and more.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
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Shares of the company traded 1.4% higher on Thursday morning. Strategy in focus BP has underperformed its European rivals of late as energy market participants continue to question the firm’s investment case.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near contest
Cite this Entry
“Contest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contest. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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