as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the playful competition over who would get the new office turned into a real dogfight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dogfight
If the same thing happens against West Virginia, the Horned Frogs will be in a dogfight in the second half.
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Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
By the end of the first half, Boise State had outgained New Mexico 187 yards to 62 and allowed only four first downs, but was in a dogfight.
—Idaho Statesman, 12 Oct. 2025
That cost them a chance to truly challenge the Phillies in the division and thrust them into a dogfight for the NL’s last wild-card spot.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Two games like this, dogfights to start the year and just closing it on defense, there’s no better feeling.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfight
Noun
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After sending the cheeseheads packing with the biggest playoff comeback in franchise history, Ben Johnson spiced up the rivalry with some salty language.—
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As interbranch rivalry morphed into systemic partisan competition, a judiciary dominated by Republican appointees began consolidating its authority at Congress’s expense.—
Noun
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This was not a rare occurrence at the university, where the presence of many students depended on the outcome of factional battles in their countries of origin.—
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In fact, filming the entire episode was quite the experience as the actress spent a lot of time arguing with herself as Maddie and Sara engaged in a battle of wills for control over the call center.—
Noun
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Nothing but bleeps ahead of Sunday's divisional duel with the Los Angeles Rams.—
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The predictive duel for Best Picture The Globes are regarded by some as a frivolous event in which celebrities care less about the awards and more about the drinks at their tables.—
Noun
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The federal determination highlights how permitting males to compete on female teams displaces female athletes from podiums, denies them advancement opportunities, and diminishes their visibility and recognition in competitions.—
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This has created a growing, glowing, billion-dollar segment of the beauty market and fierce competition among purveyors of this radiant technology.—
Noun
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His struggles are hurting the Broncos in the biggest moments, too.—
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After all, there are signs that the economy is improving (unemployment and inflation are declining), but after the economic struggles of recent years, and with household debt still high, an additional financing source won't hurt, either.—
Noun
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By 1900, only a precious few Blackfeet had made it through the gantlet of smallpox, warfare, starvation, and Christianization.—
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Drone use is increasing in Africa across various sectors, including by the military for surveillance and warfare like in Sudan, but also for social services.—
Noun
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American forces built about a dozen bases of varying size in Greenland during and after the war.—
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And analysts say that countries, including smaller developing markets, may be more wary of irking China, even to protect the growth of their own manufacturing sectors – especially when contending with a US trade war.—
Noun
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Frey said an incident Friday night that led to property damage at an area hotel and confrontation with police officers was an outlier to the largely peaceful events in recent days.—
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Ross argued that allowing local police to provide basic crowd control — rather than restricting coordination — could have reduced risks during recent confrontations.—
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfight. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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