compete
verb (used without object)
to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.; engage in a contest; vie: to compete in business.
have been competing
-
present perfect progressiveof compete.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Held on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul –- a vast mountain lake in northern Kyrgyzstan -- athletes have been competing in dozens of disciplines: from intellectual board games to arm-wrestling.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Women have been competing in the Olympics since 1900.
From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026
Two other Mormon wives, Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt, have been competing on “Dancing With the Stars” this season alongside celebrities like Hilaria Baldwin and Alix Earle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
This time round only 15 Russians have been competing in Paris as "neutral athletes" in sports like canoeing and tennis.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2024
Of recent years wealthy natives have been competing with Europeans for the possession of this desirable quarter.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 2 "Bohemia" to "Borgia, Francis" by Various
