pits against
Makes them rivals
To pit against is to set in opposition or competition: The tournament pits last year's champion against a newcomer.
The phrase suggests adversarial pairing—rivals matched for contest or conflict.
It comes from the practice of placing animals in a pit to fight: The promoters pitted dog against dog.
The construction usually takes an object between pit and against: The scandal pits neighbor against neighbor.
- duelPrearranged one-on-one combat
- head to headDirectly opposing each other
- counterattackOffensive response to aggression
- rivalryOngoing contest between opponents
- bitter rivalHostile, longstanding competitor
maneuver · clash · contention · confrontation · hostility · antagonism · retaliation · battle · grudge match · cage match · positioning · frustration · feud · negotiation · tournament · defense · escalation · warfare
pits againstreconciles
Resolves differences between parties
harmonizes · conciliates · mediates · bridges · pacifies
pits againstintegrates
Combines into unified whole
merges · combines · fuses · consolidates · synthesizes