intransitive verb

• 1Strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same.

  ‘universities are competing for applicants’

  More example sentences

  • ‘he competed with a number of other candidates’
  • ‘Cullen says if the NRL schedules games correctly the teams would not be competing for crowds.’
  • ‘In particular, the business teams are often competing for corporate resources with other businesses.’
  • ‘The war-generated industrial boom competed with the manpower needs of the armies.’
  • ‘Two great teams were playing at their highest levels, competing for every inch of ice.’
  • ‘We work in teams to tight deadlines and we are competing for clients nationally and internationally.’
  • ‘Citroen are a works team, and not a satellite operation competing for a maker like Ford or Subaru.’
  • ‘Two two-year-olds are at the table, competing for who can be the loudest and make the adults laugh the most.’
  • ‘More people competing for a fixed amount of land within easy access to the big city centres must push up the price of that land.’
  • ‘With so much material competing for our attention, we cannot process it all.’
  • ‘The world is now competing for knowledge, because information is available to everyone.’
  • ‘Group rivalry may have been a good evolutionary strategy when we were competing for the same bananas.’
  • ‘Paradoxically, it is a problem of two government schemes competing for scarce funds.’
  • ‘It would sound more logical for him to be surrounded by a bevy of beauties competing for his attention.’
  • ‘Your best friend was only your best friend as long as he was not competing for the same job.’
  • ‘Put simply, there are too many people competing for a tiny slice of the marketplace.’
  • ‘From time immemorial, countries have competed with each other.’
  • ‘Over time, companies competed with one another in presenting ‘grand’ spectacles.’
  • ‘Found in rivers, lakes and other wetlands, they competed with human beings for fish, their main diet, and lost.’
  • ‘The sound of the cool wind competed with the output from large speakers as a local music troupe doled out hot Hindi pop and movie numbers.’
  • ‘Radio competed with the print media, but soon it became incorporated into the mainstream.’

  Synonyms

  take part, play, be a contestant, be a competitor, participate, be involved, get involved, engage

  contend, vie, fight, battle, clash, tussle, grapple, wrestle, wrangle, jockey, wage war, cross swords, lock horns, go head to head

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Take part in a contest.
     ‘he competed in numerous track meets as a child’
     More example sentences

     • ‘It is important for you to support these contests by competing or by attending them.’
     • ‘The company competes in dozens of contests a year, and has won, or reached the finals in, nearly 20 in the three years since its service has been available.’
     • ‘May competes in an archery contest with other young women.’
     • ‘Only nine months after he started physique training, Williams competed in his first contest.’
     • ‘He informed the audience that they were the latest in a long line of students that have competed in the contest.’
     • ‘There is a lot of preparation involved in competing in ploughing contests.’
     • ‘Each category had a minimum of 30 participants fiercely competing for the honours.’
     • ‘This was a great achievement for an Erris team who were competing for the first time in this competition.’
     • ‘Women's teams have been competing for the past five years or so in Australia.’
     • ‘The day began in Jomtien with eight teams competing for poll position in the daylong event.’
     • ‘The race for second spot looks a lot more interesting, though, with three teams competing for one spot.’
     • ‘At the moment I am actually at the Goodwill Games where I am competing for the European team.’
     • ‘Since Zhang had previously competed with a dash team in Shanghai, she was able to quickly adjust to the grueling exercise routine.’
     • ‘Several teams around the world are already competing for the prize.’
     • ‘Teams from nine schools are competing for the title of best orator in the business milieu.’
     • ‘The youngsters were competing for the first time on snow against seasoned teams.’
     • ‘All of the girls on the team are my friends that I competed with when I was at home, so they were looking forward to seeing me.’
     • ‘She will be competing for the first time alongside petrol engines at the world record attempt.’
     • ‘He has been competing for just over two and half years but has already stamped his class over a host of tremendous fights.’
     • ‘It was an overwhelming success with thousands of student bands competing for the coveted title.’
     Synonyms

     take part, play, be a contestant, be a competitor, participate, be involved, get involved, engage

     View synonyms