contend


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contend against (someone or something)

To compete against someone or something. Andy hasn't trained enough to contend against other swimmers his age. If you push him to enter this race, he'll just end up disappointed. Wait, I have to contend against a hundred applicants for this job? Oh man. I don't think we're gonna the contract if we have to contend against a mega corporation like FlemCo.!
See also: contend

contend for (something)

To compete against someone for something. Andy hasn't trained enough to contend for a win. If you push him to enter this race, he'll just end up disappointed. I'm afraid to ask—how many applicants are contending for this position? I don't have high hopes if we have to contend for the contract with a mega corporation like FlemCo.!
See also: contend, for

contend with (someone or something)

1. To compete against someone. Andy hasn't trained enough to contend with other swimmers his age. If you push him to enter this race, he'll just end up disappointed. Wait, I have to contend with a hundred applicants for this job? Oh man. I don't have high hopes if we have to contend with a mega corporation like FlemCo. for the contract.
2. To struggle against or work to solve a problem or issue. I'm not ready to contend with that problem just yet—I need coffee first. How can we contend with these huge financial losses and still stay in business? Well, if your new company has to contend with bad press, it certainly isn't going to help things.
See also: contend

contend with (someone or something) for (something)

To compete against someone or something for something. Andy hasn't trained enough to contend with other swimmers his age for a win. If you push him to enter this race, he'll just end up disappointed. Wait, I have to contend with a hundred applicants for this job? Oh man. I don't have high hopes if we have to contend with a mega corporation like FlemCo. for the contract.
See also: contend, for
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

contend against someone or something

to fight or compete against someone or something. Do we have to contend against all this criticism? Ed refuses to have to contend against Eric.
See also: contend

contend with a problem

to put up with a difficulty; to struggle with the problems caused by someone or something. I cannot contend with your temper anymore. I wish we did not have to contend with this changeable weather.
See also: contend, problem

contend with someone (for something)

 and contend (with someone) for something
to fight someone for something; to compete with someone to win something. I don't want to have to contend with Sally for the award. I don't want to have to contend for the job with Ed.
See also: contend
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
Founded in the spring of 2014, Contend specialises in using insights and analytics to create, produce and distribute data-driven content designed to deliver measurable business results for brands and publishers.
The danger of federal intrusion into state matters is not the only concern, as critics also contend that using federal resources places undue strain on taxpayers and the budgets within the judicial system.
"Incontinence is a serious, yet frequently overlooked, cause for falls," contends Sue Gardiner, director of clinical services, Illinois Council on Long Term Care.
In Bork's world, the following passes for cultural criticism: "Rock and rap are utterly impoverished by comparison with swing or jazz or any pre-World War 11 music, impoverished emotionally, aesthetically, and intellectually." He contends that it is bad enough that black youth listen to rap, but what's worse, rap is not just "black music," but has white fans too.
"Peering is the Achilles' heel of the whole system," contends Lloyd Taylor, VP of Operations at Internet traffic monitoring company Keynote Systems.
As evidence for the moral disintegration of the family, Drescher cited the "band of half neglected children loose in the streets smoking and begging and idling away their time."(47) He contended "even mothers from good houses turn away from educating their young and leave their children with often uneducated, young, immoral servants."(48)
The workers contend that black customers were refused service, made to pay for meals in advance or seated at tables away from exits to prevent them from skipping out without paying.
They further contend that any letter of credit provided by the seller-lessee constitutes additional collateral under paragraph 12(d) of Statement no.
From a genetic perspective, "humans appear as only slightly remodeled chimpanzee-like apes, the scientists contend.
Three of the four essays dealing with the Weimar period reject the theory that a "front generation" emerged from the war but do contend that the myth of a front generation was utilized by groups to gain their ends.
With these words Neubauer challenges those who would contend that only economic and social changes bring about new social realities.
To contend, as he does, that it is not race that has been the problem in American history, but a "specific kind of racial classification," seems at first a form of sophistry and a matter of semantics.
Studies of turn-of-the-century adult attitudes about treatment of youth all contend that a major shift in perceptions of youth occurred but they differ concerning the reasons behind the changes.
Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island contend that the tax is impermissibly discriminatory.