Meaning & use
pitting against each other
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Making two people or groups compete or fight against one another, often for your own advantage.
Grammar: Used after 'be' or verbs like 'keep' or 'risk': They are pitting the two teams against each other.
Patterns
- pit someone against someone
- be pitted against each other
- pitting A against B
The manager is pitting the two sales teams against each other to see who can sell more.
The debate coach kept pitting the students against each other in practice rounds.
By pitting the two departments against each other, the director hoped to get better results.
phrasefixed phrase
Causing two things to be compared or opposed, especially in a contest or argument.
Grammar: Often used in passive: The two theories were pitted against each other.
Patterns
- pit something against something
- be pitted against each other
The essay pitted the two economic theories against each other to show their strengths.
In the final round, the two best arguments were pitted against each other.
The documentary pitted traditional farming methods against modern technology.
Common combinations
- pit someone against someone
- The coach pitted the younger players against the older ones.
- be pitted against each other
- The two candidates were pitted against each other in a live debate.
- keep pitting A against B
- Stop pitting your children against each other; it causes jealousy.
- pitting brother against brother
- The civil war ended up pitting brother against brother.
Synonyms and how they differ
- set against
- Similar but often less forceful; 'set against' can also mean 'compare' without the idea of conflict.
- oppose
- More direct; it means to actively disagree or fight, while 'pit against' focuses on arranging a contest or comparison.
Opposites
Word family
- pit verb
- To put someone in a contest or struggle against another.
Commonly confused: pitting against each other or pitting?
pitting against each other vs pitting
As a noun, 'pitting' means small holes or marks on a surface, especially metal. The phrase here is the -ing form of the verb 'pit'.
Practice
The two companies were ______ against each other for the contract.
Choose one answer.
The passive structure 'were pitted against each other' is correct here. 'Pitting' would need a helping verb like 'were pitting' but then the subject would be doing the action, not receiving it. 'Pit' and 'pits' do not fit the passive form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pitting against each other”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.