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Prepositions after verbs

Compete with vs. compete in

Use compete with for rivals and compete in for events, industries, or activities.

Quick answer

Choosing the right preposition

Use compete with to name a person, team, or company that is a rival. Use compete in to talk about a competition, sport, market, or field.

Our company cannot compete with global brands.
She hopes to compete in the Olympics.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
compete with + rival

Naming the opponent

Use with when talking about the person or group you are competing against.

Small shops struggle to compete with large chains.
He competed with experienced players.
2
compete in + event/field

Talking about the area of competition

Use in for contests, sports, industries, or markets.

The team will compete in the final.
Many firms compete in the same market.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
compete with
She competes with her sister in tennis.
identify the rival
compete in
They compete in international tournaments.
identify the event or field
compete against
We competed against last year's champions.
a common alternative to compete with, especially in sports

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using in for a rival

Use with or against for the competitor.

✕ They compete in other companies. ✓ They compete with other companies.

Using with for an event

Use in for a competition or field.

✕ She competed with the marathon. ✓ She competed in the marathon.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The brand competes ___ several international companies.
2. He competed ___ the national chess championship.
3. Our team competed ___ last year's winners.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say compete against?

Yes. Compete against is common, especially in sports and direct contests.

Do I use compete in or compete at?

Compete in is more common for events and fields. Compete at can be used for venues or levels, such as compete at national level.

Can compete with refer to companies?

Yes. It is common when talking about business rivals.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

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