duel

1 of 2

noun

du·​el ˈdü-əl How to pronounce duel (audio)
 also  ˈdyü-
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

duel

2 of 2

verb

dueled or duelled; dueling or duelling

intransitive verb

: to fight a duel

transitive verb

: to encounter (an opponent) in a duel
dueler noun
or dueller
duelist noun
or duellist

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
With a brewing 60 meter sprint race between NFL champion Tyreek Hill and Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles locked in for sometime later this year, conversations have been running amok as to whether the crossover duel will actually field a competitive race. Cory Mull, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Snell duels with Tarik Skubal, the incumbent AL Triple-Crowner and last year’s unanimous AL Cy Young. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
These dueling sensations are emphasized by Aleksander Makowski’s score, which veers between waltzing whimsy and haunting woodwinds, a keen cross-cultural blend. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025 As the judge untangles the dueling narratives, one persists. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for duel

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Medieval Latin duellum, from Old Latin, war

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1645, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of duel was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Duel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duel. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

duel

1 of 2 noun
du·​el ˈd(y)ü-əl How to pronounce duel (audio)
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
duelist noun
or duellist
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"

More from Merriam-Webster on duel

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