1
: a combat between two persons
specifically
: a formal combat with weapons fought between two persons in the presence of witnesses
2
: a conflict between antagonistic persons, ideas, or forces
also
: a hard-fought contest between two opponents
dueled or duelled; dueling or duelling
: to fight a duel
: to encounter (an opponent) in a duel
dueler
noun
or dueller
Examples of duel in a Sentence
Noun
They engaged in a duel of wits.
a duel for the title of captain of the team
Verb
He accepted the challenge to duel.
Legislators dueled over the tax increases.
The two runners dueled for the lead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Ureña won a nine-pitch duel with Jeff McNeil, striking out the second baseman with a 97-mph sinker, and Smith picked off Marte at third to complete a rare home-to-third, strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play.
—Mike Digiovanna, Oc Register, 5 June 2025
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
The dueling biplanes from the climax exist on this level, too, even if Gabriel is essentially twirling his moustache and tying a dame to train tracks.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for duel
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Noun
Above, a curious duel unfolded: a seagull clashing mid-air with a hovering drone.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Ureña won a nine-pitch duel with Jeff McNeil, striking out the second baseman with a 97-mph sinker, and Smith picked off Marte at third to complete a rare home-to-third, strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play.
—Mike Digiovanna, Oc Register, 5 June 2025
Verb
Lyra Valkyria There were dueling chants for Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
The dueling biplanes from the climax exist on this level, too, even if Gabriel is essentially twirling his moustache and tying a dame to train tracks.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for duel
Cite this Entry
“Duel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duel. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
duel
1 of 2 noun
du·el
ˈd(y)ü-əl 
1
: a combat between two persons
especially
: one fought with weapons in the presence of witnesses
2
: a conflict between two opponents
duel
2 of 2 verb
dueled or duelled; dueling or duelling
: to fight in a duel
dueler
noun
or dueller
Etymology
Noun
from Latin duellum "duel," from an archaic form of earlier bellum "war"; revived in the Middle Ages to mean combat between two persons because the du- suggested Latin duo "two"
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