Meaning & use
pit against
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To set someone or something in direct competition or conflict with another person or thing.
Grammar: Takes an object: pit someone against someone. Very often used in the passive: be pitted against.
Patterns
- pit someone against someone
- be pitted against someone
- pit something against something
The draw pitted the two best teams against each other in the first round.
In the debate, she was pitted against a much more experienced speaker.
The new policy pitted farmers against environmentalists.
verbtransitive
To test someone's strength or skill by matching them with a difficult opponent or problem.
Grammar: Often passive: be pitted against a difficult task or rival.
Patterns
- be pitted against a difficult task
- pit your wits against someone
The young chess player was pitted against a grandmaster.
The contestants are pitted against a series of tough challenges.
Word forms
| third person singular | pits against |
|---|---|
| past tense | pitted against |
| past participle | pitted against |
| -ing form | pitting against |
Common combinations
- pit A against B
- The war pitted brother against brother.
- be pitted against
- She was pitted against the reigning champion.
- pit your wits against
- The puzzle pits your wits against the clock.
- pit two sides against each other
- The new law pitted two sides against each other.
Synonyms and how they differ
- match
- Neutral: to arrange a game or contest between two people or teams. 'Pit against' is stronger and suggests conflict or struggle.
- oppose
- To place in opposition, often in a formal or political context. 'Pit against' is more vivid and often passive.
Opposites
Word family
- pit verb
- To set in opposition (often followed by 'against').
Commonly confused: pit against or pit?
pit against vs pit
As a noun, 'pit' means a hole in the ground. The phrasal verb 'pit against' is unrelated in meaning.
Practice
In the semifinal, the rookie was ______ against the world champion.
Choose one answer.
The passive structure 'was pitted against' requires the past participle 'pitted'. 'Pit' is the base form and does not fit after 'was'; 'pitting' would need a form of 'be' like 'was pitting', which is active and would need an object; 'pits' is present tense and does not agree with 'was'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pit against”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.