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.
were 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.
If employers were competing for talent, we’d see it in pay, yet annual earnings growth is just 3.2%, the lowest since before the pandemic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Fifteen countries were competing in the first semi, with Bettan among the 10 who progressed to Saturday's grand final, following combined votes from the public and professional juries in participating countries.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
While the Dodgers were competing for an unthinkable second consecutive championship, Vesia was mourning an unimaginable loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
Just 10 years ago, Bodo/Glimt were competing in the second tier of Norwegian football.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026
“You were competing with men who were aware that their own particular suns were fading, and they resented your moving into the places they would leave. They fought you, and you fought them back.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
