horse race

noun

Definition of horse racenext
1
as in ball game

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in photo finish

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horse race
  1. ball game
  2. photo finish
  3. confrontation
  4. toss-up
  5. war
  6. duel
  7. combat
  8. contention
Noun
  • If Britney Spears can hire ghostwriters to help turn her partial memories into polished prose, why does asking ChatGPT to do the same thing feel like a whole other ball game?
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Log temples atop the mounds overlooked wide plazas for ball games, ceremonies, and open-air markets.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of ball game
Noun
  • The German won the men's marathon at the European championships on Sunday morning by a whopping 7 seconds, less than a year after missing out on gold in a photo finish at the world championships in Tokyo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • This is a very similar route to stage 11 from the 2024 Tour de France, won by Vingegaard in a photo finish ahead of Pogačar.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of photo finish
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
Noun
  • Cook Political Report lists the race as a toss-up, while recent polling has shown the candidates within close single-digit margins of each other.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The open Senate race between Talarico and Paxton is also considered a toss-up by Cook.
    — Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of toss-up
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
  • 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
  • Crews need frequent live-fire practice, but training with combat-standard ammunition can quickly become expensive.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Students will also study mines and explosive hazards, first aid for combat injuries, chemical and radiation exposure and acute stress, as well as survival training and procedures for operating in conflict zones.
    — Bloomberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of combat
Noun
  • The Hawkeyes could be a good team but go 0-3 and see their CFP hopes dashed, but even one victory could keep them in Playoff contention.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That might be a problem for the Commanders because their contention is that these Redskins items are sold on a limited availability.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of contention
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.

Browse Nearby Words

horsepower
horse race
horse races
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Cite this Entry

“Horse race.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horse%20race. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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