Meaning

To be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend..

Definitions by Sense

1. To be in battle or in a rivalry with another for the same thing, position, or reward; to contend.
2. To be in a position in which it is possible to win or triumph.
3. To take part in a contest, game or similar event.
4. To strive to achieve or obtain something which another also strives for, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

Example Sentences

Negga, who was born in Ethiopia but grew up in Limerick, already has a clutch of Best Actress nominations under her belt for Loving but this is the most high profile to date. She's won rave reviews for her performance since the movie's premiere at Cannes in May, where it competed for the Palme d'Or.

"No. But one, or both of those men, may prove to be worse. That second man was Addison Berg, and he's agent for a firm of submarine boat builders who are rivals of dad's. Berg has been trying to find out why we abandoned our intention of competing for the Government prize."

The idea behind Sir Montagu's gift is that there should be for the amateur clubs a trophy which will take the place of the Stanley Cup, now becoming a trophy for which professional clubs will alone compete.

Now, when it comes to meeting the larger challenges we face as a nation, I realize that finding this unity is easier said than done – especially in Washington. But if we want to compete on the world stage as well as we’ve competed in the world’s games, we need to find common ground.

Word Forms

• competes
• competing
• competed

Synonyms for compete

Antonyms for compete

Related Words

When Should You Use Compete?

Use compete when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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