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.
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
McClain’s other passion was competing on horseback, showing off skills to round up calves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Quite often, I'd be part of a 12-man squad and knew I was competing with one person – usually Tremlett, Bresnan or Graham Onions – for the final bowling spot in the XI.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
Mensik was competing on one of the outer courts at Roland Garros, which offer no shade.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
He was competing with Galen, but there was not yet a community of anatomists in competition with each other, and Vesalius was not in the business of claiming priority for his discoveries.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
