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.
was competing
-
past progressiveof compete.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was competing in only his second final of the year after losing January's Australian Open showpiece to Carlos Alcaraz.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
By secondary school, Woodward, who grew up in Eccleshall, was competing internationally and training 20 hours a week in the pool and gym at Ponds Forge Sports Centre.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Saar told The Times that she didn’t let it bother her: “I’ve always done what I did and never felt I was competing with what was going on.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
By one industry estimate, in more than a dozen U.S. cities at least 40% of affordable housing was competing with market-rate buildings rates in 2025.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Others said it was burned by a contingent of jealous citizens from Midland because the Odessa college was competing with a similar institution that the sister city had built.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
