rivals

NOUN

person who opposes in competition

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adversary challenger competition competitor contender opponent peer

STRONG

antagonist bandit buddy contestant emulator entrant equal equivalent match

WEAK

opposite number

Antonyms

STRONGEST

ally helper

STRONG

difference

WEAK

associate cohort companion

VERB

oppose; be a match for

Synonyms

STRONGEST

emulate equal resemble

STRONG

amount approach approximate compete contend contest correspond match meet near partake tie touch

WEAK

bear comparison with come near to come up to compare with go after go for jockey for position measure up to rivalize scramble for seek to displace vie with

Antonyms

STRONG

disconnect give up leave

WEAK

aid assist cooperate help support

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Chinese challengers Seedance, Kling and Alibaba’s HappyHorse have rapidly closed the gap on cinematic realism and have upstaged their American rivals by undercutting them on cost.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026

Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos after a chaotic second-half in Toronto to set up a last 16 tie with Iberian rivals Spain.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026

Local EV rivals have almost entirely elbowed out foreign brands with a faster, more tech-focused approach to building cars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Things were more positive at another of Tesla’s EV rivals.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026

As Smith had foreseen, since his stellar performance in the 1937 Santa Anita Handicap Seabiscuit had been assigned the highest weight in virtually every race, at times carrying over twenty pounds more than his rivals.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand