compete
Other forms: competing; competed; competes
In sports you compete against the opposing team. At work you compete for a promotion. With siblings, you compete for everything. Compete means to vie for a goal.
The urge to compete is universal and human, from kids who say "Race ya!," to great athletes who manage to achieve the impossible when faced with a worthy opponent. Some people are more inclined to compete than others. They are viewed as competitive and may be accused of turning everything into a competition.
Definitions of compete
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compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
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types:
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go for, try for
make an attempt at achieving something
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play
participate in games or sport
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run off
decide (a contest or competition) by a runoff
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race, run
compete in a race
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rival
be the rival of, be in competition with
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emulate
compete with successfully; approach or reach equality with
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equal, match, rival, touch
be equal to in quality or ability
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line up
take one's position before a kick-off
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curl
play the Scottish game of curling
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snooker
leave one's opponent unable to take a direct shot
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revoke
fail to follow suit when able and required to do so
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develop
move into a strategically more advantageous position
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develop
move one's pieces into strategically more advantageous positions
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die
to be on base at the end of an inning, of a player
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misplay
play wrong or in an unskillful manner
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start
play in the starting lineup
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fumble
drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder
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volley
make a volley
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unblock
play the cards of (a suit) so that the last trick on which a hand can follow suit will be taken by a higher card in the hand of a partner who has the remaining cards of a combined holding
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replay
play again
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cricket
play cricket
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backstop
act as a backstop
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fullback
play the fullback
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quarterback
play the quarterback
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cradle
run with the stick
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exit
lose the lead
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play out
play to a finish
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field
play as a fielder
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catch
be the catcher
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bully off, face off
start a game by a face-off
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tee off
strike a ball from the teeing ground at the start of a hole
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ace
play (a hole) in one stroke
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show
finish third or better in a horse or dog race
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place
finish second or better in a horse or dog race
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boat-race
participate in a boat race
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horse-race
compete in a horse race
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campaign, run
run, stand, or compete for an office or a position
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complete, nail
complete a pass
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outrival, outvie
be more of a rival than
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gamble
play games for money
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walk
give a base on balls to
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bowl
engage in the sport of bowling
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golf
play golf
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bandy
toss or strike a ball back and forth
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foul
commit a foul; break the rules
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put out
retire
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croquet
play a game in which players hit a wooden ball through a series of hoops
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putt
hit a putt
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speed skate
race on skates
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seesaw, teeter-totter, teetertotter
ride on a plank
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bid, call
make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands
Pronunciation
US
/kəmˈpit/
UK
/kəmˈpit/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘compete'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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