11
entrant(noun, person, opposition, opponent, enemy)
10
gladiator(noun, combatant)
10
opposing(adjective, property, hostile, different, spirited)
9
contend(verb, maintain, oppose, play, continue)
9
contest(noun, verb, meet, oppose, play)
9
opposite(noun, adjective, hostile, different, antagonistic)
9
tie(verb, make, meet, oppose, draw)
8
challenger(noun, person, opposition, opponent, favorite)
8
fighter(noun, person, combatant)
8
meet(verb, make, oppose, draw, fight)
8
opposed(adjective, property, hostile, different, antagonistic)
8
vying(adjective, property, spirited, aggressive, opposing)
7
approach(verb, study, make, mean, meet)
7
assailant(noun, opposition, agent, rebel, criminal)
7
challenge(verb, oppose, play, fight, match)
7
come up to(verb, expression, idiom, phrasal verb, make)
7
conflicting(adjective, property, hostile, different, antagonistic)
7
contend with(verb, expression, challenge, conflict, match)
7
disputant(noun, opposition, agent, rebel, criminal)
6
compare with(verb, expression, phrasal verb, meet, oppose)
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APASmart Define. (2016). rival thesaurus. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/rival/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2016. "rival thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/rival/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2016, rival thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/rival/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "rival thesaurus" 30 March 2016. Web. 20 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/rival/thesaurus/synonyms>