Sports Competition Terms

noun a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe

• The lawyer presented strong evidence to prove his client's innocence against the adversary.
• I heard you have a new adversary at work, good luck dealing with them.
• Watch out for that shady dude, he's your new adversary now.
• Fear is my greatest adversary, always holding me back from taking risks.

verb to strive against others in order to win a competition or achieve a goal

• The two companies will compete for the government contract.
• I heard that the two teams will compete in the finals next week.
• I'm gonna compete in the talent show this weekend, wish me luck!
• In the world of business, you have to compete to stay ahead of the game.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• The security guard stopped anyone from entering the building without proper identification.
• I saw you entering the party last night, you had a great time!
• I heard he's entering the rap battle competition next month.
• She felt like she was entering a whole new world when she started college.

adjective relating to activities or education that take place outside of a regular curriculum or program

• The university offers extramural courses for students who wish to study part-time.
• I signed up for an extramural class at the community center.
• I heard extramural classes are a breeze compared to regular courses.
• His extramural activities outside of work help him relax and destress.

noun the first person or thing in a sequence or lineup

verb to begin or start something

adverb at the beginning or start

• The main speaker will lead off the conference with an opening address.
• Let's have Jane lead off the presentation since she knows the topic well.
• I'll let you lead off the game so we can get a head start.
• His strong work ethic will lead off a successful career in the industry.

verb to catch up with and pass by, as in a race or competition

• The car accelerated to overtake the slow-moving truck on the highway.
• I had to speed up to overtake the cyclist on the road.
• I gunned it to overtake the old lady driving too slowly.
• His ambition drove him to overtake his competitors in the business world.

adjective relating to or consisting of separate sections, especially as a form of furniture

• The living room was elegantly furnished with a large sectional sofa.
• Let's all gather on the sectional for movie night.
• I love chilling on the sectional with my friends.
• The sectional divide between the two groups was becoming more pronounced.

noun a place or position where something begins or originates

• The research paper provides a solid starting point for further investigation.
• Let's use this book as our starting point for the project.
• This app is the bomb, it's the perfect starting point for planning your trip.
• The first chapter of the novel serves as a starting point for the protagonist's journey.

noun A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. 'Touch off' does not function as a noun in this context.

verb A verb is a word that expresses an action or state of being. In this case, 'touch off' is a verb phrase meaning to trigger or set off something.

adverb An adverb is a word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb. 'Touch off' does not have an adverb in this context.

preposition A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. 'Off' is a preposition in the verb phrase 'touch off', indicating the direction or movement away from something.

• The match was used to touch off the fireworks display.
• He touched off a debate among his friends with his controversial statement.
• She touched off a party with her killer dance moves.
• The small argument touched off a full-blown conflict between the two countries.

noun get (something that is obtained)

adjective tough (difficult to deal with or overcome)

• Securing funding for the project was a tough get, but we managed to convince the investors in the end.
• Getting tickets to the concert is a tough get, they sell out so quickly.
• Trying to borrow his car is a tough get, he's very protective of it.
• Winning her trust was a tough get, but once I did, our relationship grew stronger.