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View synonyms for compete

compete

[ kuhm-peet ]

verb (used without object)

, com·pet·ed, com·pet·ing.
  1. to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.; engage in a contest; vie: to compete in business.

    to compete in a race;

    to compete in business.

    Synonyms: struggle



compete

/ kəmˈpiːt /

verb

  1. introften foll bywith to contend (against) for profit, an award, athletic supremacy, etc; engage in a contest (with)


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Other Words From

  • com·pet·er noun
  • com·pet·ing·ly adverb
  • non·com·pet·ing adjective
  • out·com·pete verb (used with object) outcompeted outcompeting

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Word History and Origins

Origin of compete1

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin competere “to meet, coincide, be fitting, suffice” ( Late Latin: “to seek, ask for”), equivalent to com- “with, together” + petere “to seek”; com-. The Late Latin and English senses were influenced by competitor

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Word History and Origins

Origin of compete1

C17: from Late Latin competere to strive together, from Latin: to meet, come together, agree, from com- together + petere to seek

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. cannot/can't compete with, to not be, by a great degree, as good or capable as (someone or something else):

    These roses are lovely, but they can’t compete with the ones we grew back home in Ecuador.

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Synonym Study

Compete, contend, contest mean to strive to outdo or excel. Compete implies having a sense of rivalry and of striving to do one's best as well as to outdo another: to compete for a prize. Contend suggests opposition or disputing as well as rivalry: to contend with an opponent, against obstacles. Contest suggests struggling to gain or hold something, as well as contending or disputing: to contest a position or ground ( in battle ); to contest a decision.

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Example Sentences

It’s worth noting, of course, that low end of the mug category is ready available at your local 99 cent store, and that’s not likely a space Ember is raring to compete in.

In this regard, it’s hard for a mere nova to compete with a supernova explosion, which, though rare, releases far more newly produced elements than a nova does.

It competes with Robinhood, M1 Finance and other American fintech companies that offer consumers a way to invest in equities with low or zero fees.

The Hurricane already hosted an open tryout in January where 150 players competed for five open slots on the roster.

The Washington Post, inspired by its owner Jeff Bezos, has built a suite of advertising tools called Zeus Technology to help publishers and advertisers on the open web compete for ad dollars with big tech firms like Google and Facebook.

From Axios

Good, caring teachers recognized his talent and challenged him to work hard to compete at the highest levels.

As described by its inventor, there is an Honest team and a Mafia team that compete against each other.

This puts them at odds with the countless polytheistic religions, where many gods compete for prominence.

A notably large Irish contingent took part in the infamous draft riots because they did not want to compete for jobs with blacks.

It also forced banks to consider designing their own Internet money market funds to compete with Yu'E Bao.

He designed it entirely himself; he had not to compete for the building of it, but had carte blanche in regard to every detail.

It has no established reputation in this country, and on account of the high duties can not compete with our domestic tobaccos.

The hero of the adventure does not compete with any number of knights, but is each day confronted with a chosen champion.

All the women who compete for these - 77 - prizes will be assembled on the grand staircase before the orchestra.

Only three remained to compete now for the prize, the others having given up.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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compersioncompetence