DOGFIGHT Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

dogfight

noun

ˈdȯg-ˌfīt

Definition of dogfight

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dogfight There’s also a four-player battle mode where players can team up as Star Fox or the evil Star Wolf team and engage in massive dogfights through space. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 June 2026 Dassault’s Mirage fighter – and more recently the Rafale – can creep into enemy airspace, dogfight, drop bombs and launch cruise missiles. — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 June 2026 The aim is to produce crews capable of handling complex multi-domain battlespaces rather than isolated dogfights. — David Szondy may 24, New Atlas, 24 May 2026 Using the latest version of Epic’s Unreal Engine, each Smugglers Run locale is heavily detailed, putting us in more of a dogfight as the Mandalorian chases down pirates and ex-Imperial officers. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dogfight

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogfight

Noun

Nattie challenged Jaida Parker to a submission match for Heatwave as their rivalry turned up a notch.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The handlers may represent rival schools, but those rivalries tend to stop at the kennel, pasture or habitat gate, especially when another mascot is sick, retiring or in need of support.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Noun

The only intrigue at offensive line was the backup center battle between Hudson and Patrick.

— Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Naturally, with three more Salt Lake City wives at the Alter Ego Party, Gizelle is ready to further investigate why Lisa is in a battle with her whole cast.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of battle

Noun

Also, Napoli will host Como in a duel between Champions League participants.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
If both top closers have to do more or less the same thing, namely, stay in contention, arguably what has to happen here for either to hit the wire first, then the next question is, who wins in a stretch duel.

— Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of duel

Noun

Combined with recent updates across several companies in the AI industry, the AI competition appears to have entered a new phase centered on cost-efficiency.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Horse racing revenue in Illinois had been dwindling for years due to competition from casinos, the lottery, and video and sports gambling.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

While Craig will get most of the attention, TCU’s revamped offensive line also had its struggles throughout the day.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Those struggles have become increasingly difficult for the Blue Jays to ignore as the season has progressed.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

The legal challenge intensified an unusually public dispute over how AI can be used in warfare and mass surveillance.

— Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Rather than designing an entirely new robotic counter-drone vehicle, the companies combined an existing robotic platform with an existing sensing and electronic warfare capability.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of warfare

Noun

Alongside analysts and external observers warning that Russia’s full-scale invasion could soon enter a more dangerous phase, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to escalate the war.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Iran is expanding its defense capabilities, an Iranian army commander said Wednesday, after much of the country’s equipment was degraded by US-Israeli strikes in the early days of the war.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

Not long afterward, two dozen Border Patrol agents descended on Roosevelt High School as class was getting out, prompting a confrontation in which the agents deployed pepper spray and arrested four people, including a teacher.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
First was the question of how to manage Russia’s elites, many of whom were less than enthusiastic about a direct confrontation with the West.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of confrontation

Browse Nearby Words

dogfaces

dogfight

dogfights

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“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogfight. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of dogfight

noun

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