competing
adjective
com·pet·ing
kəm-ˈpē-tiŋ 
: in a state of rivalry or competition (as for position, profit, or a prize)
the competing teams/athletes
researched competing companies/products
They received several competing offers/bids.
their competing claims to the territory
She had many competing demands on her time.
… money is needed for social programs, health care, the environment and myriad other competing interests.—
Gloria Galloway
Gloria GallowayUsing themselves, and 30 other pairs of identical twins as subjects, the two set out to test competing theories …—Alison Rowat
Alison RowatExamples of competing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Allen said that the repeal continued to have broad support, including from Republicans in the Legislature and otherwise warring factions in the state’s housing debates, but competing issues took precedence.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
Historically, competing orders have invited conflict.
—Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Here’s a review of the history of the word and how competing definitions are inflaming the debate over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
The loudest voices on the political spectrum make competing arguments: that Trump has been unfairly targeted because of his political views and that his status as a candidate has unjustly shielded him from a criminal reckoning.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
Even when competing countries seem to abandon diplomacy, the institution remains a place where adversaries can hash out their differences and find opportunities to cooperate.
—Richard Gowan, Foreign Affairs, 9 Nov. 2023
Their attention is not only on auctioneers but on the banks of telephone bid-takers who drive the nightly drama, advising their clients from London to Hong Kong to Doha when competing bids are received.
—Carol Vogel, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2023
Linnaeus’s great insight was that this method was trying to accomplish two separate and competing aims: precise description and clear identification.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
Because both sides make competing claims, there is no generally agreed upon border, only a Line of Actual Control that marks the general status quo, manned and patrolled by soldiers of both sides.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023
Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
Historically, competing orders have invited conflict.
—Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Here’s a review of the history of the word and how competing definitions are inflaming the debate over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
The loudest voices on the political spectrum make competing arguments: that Trump has been unfairly targeted because of his political views and that his status as a candidate has unjustly shielded him from a criminal reckoning.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
Even when competing countries seem to abandon diplomacy, the institution remains a place where adversaries can hash out their differences and find opportunities to cooperate.
—Richard Gowan, Foreign Affairs, 9 Nov. 2023
Their attention is not only on auctioneers but on the banks of telephone bid-takers who drive the nightly drama, advising their clients from London to Hong Kong to Doha when competing bids are received.
—Carol Vogel, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2023
Linnaeus’s great insight was that this method was trying to accomplish two separate and competing aims: precise description and clear identification.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
Because both sides make competing claims, there is no generally agreed upon border, only a Line of Actual Control that marks the general status quo, manned and patrolled by soldiers of both sides.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'competing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near competing
Cite this Entry
“Competing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competing. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
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