had been rivaling

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of rival.
  rival

  noun

  a person who is competing for the same object or goal as another, or who tries to equal or outdo another; competitor.

Related Words

• adversary
• challenger
• competition
• competitor
• contender
• opponent
• peer