stage a contest

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "stage a contest" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to organizing or setting up a competition or event where participants compete against each other. Example: "The school decided to stage a contest to encourage creativity among students."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

A state assemblyman from Newark, Craig A. Stanley, introduced a bill a year ago to stage a contest to find a new nickname.

The New York Times

It also plans to promote the program in urban farmers markets and to stage a contest.

The New York Times

If we were to stage a contest for waiters, we would hold an "undivided attention contest".

The New Yorker

You might even stage a contest to find the best ideas, and have peer judges and other subject-matter experts vet the submissions and suggest improvements.

Harvard Business Review

Looking to finish its season with yet another surge, ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" will stage a contest among past big-money winners in the final week of the current sweep month.

The New York Times - Arts

The building full of luxury condominiums resembles every other building full of luxury condominiums in that it "sets a new standard for luxury living," but it differs in that its developers hired some exceptionally enterprising public-relations experts and told them to stage a contest to name the building.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Still, they should be concerned by what they are seeing.The Chinese economy is staging a contest of its own.

The Economist

Last summer the Pentagon staged a contest in Las Vegas in which high-powered computers spent 12 hours trying to hack one another in pursuit of a $2 million purse.

MIT Technology Review

He staged a contest that culminated in having 5,000 of his fans' Twitter handles affixed to the bed of his truck for the Nascar Camping World Truck series race last Friday.

The New York Times - Sports

LIKE others, I suspect, I never tire of the story of Zeuxis and Parrhasios, a pair of early Greek painters who staged a contest to determine the superior artist of the two.

The New York Times

All of the paintings superimpose clusters of short brush strokes and the occasional sweeping vector over intricate architectural plans and elevations, staging a contest between two kinds of drawing or, as T J Demos writes in a catalog essay, "between architecture and gesture, between representation and abstraction".

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "stage a contest", ensure the context clearly indicates that you are organizing or setting up a competition. This phrase is particularly effective when emphasizing the promotional or event-like aspect of the contest.

Common error

Avoid using "stage a contest" when referring to naturally occurring competitions or situations where the contest is not actively organized. For example, it's less appropriate to say "nature staged a contest between predators" because nature doesn't actively 'stage' events.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "stage a contest" is as a verb phrase. It describes the action of organizing and presenting a competition. Ludwig provides examples where this phrase is used to denote active planning and execution, such as staging a beauty contest or a sports competition.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Wiki

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "stage a contest" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the act of organizing and presenting a competition. According to Ludwig, its use is considered appropriate in written English, especially in the context of news and media. While the phrase isn't exceedingly common, appearing in an uncommon frequency of examples, it's versatile enough for neutral registers. It's important to use this phrase when highlighting the active organization of an event, rather than naturally occurring competitions. Alternatives like "organize a competition" or "hold a competition" provide similar meanings, making "stage a contest" a valuable addition to one's linguistic toolkit.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hold a competition

Focuses on the act of 'holding' rather than 'staging', but maintains the same core meaning of organizing a contest.

organize a competition

Replaces "stage" with "organize", providing a direct synonym that emphasizes the planning aspect.

run a competition

Uses "run" to suggest managing and overseeing the contest, shifting the focus slightly.

host a competition

Emphasizes the role of being the 'host' or organizer of the event.

conduct a competition

Replaces "stage" with "conduct", suggesting a more formal or official execution of the contest.

launch a competition

Implies initiating or starting the contest, adding an element of commencement.

put on a contest

Uses the idiom "put on" to mean organizing and presenting the contest.

present a competition

Highlights the aspect of showcasing or offering the competition to participants.

establish a competition

Emphasizes the creation and setting up of a contest.

create a competition

Stresses the act of designing and formulating a contest from scratch.

FAQs

What does "stage a contest" mean?

The phrase "stage a contest" means to organize, plan, and present a competition or event where participants compete against each other. It emphasizes the active role of setting up and promoting the event.

What can I say instead of "stage a contest"?

You can use alternatives like "organize a competition", "hold a competition", or "run a competition" depending on the context. These alternatives convey similar meanings with slight variations in emphasis.

Is "stage a contest" formal or informal?

The phrase "stage a contest" is considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It's commonly found in news articles, business reports, and general writing. Consider your audience when choosing it as it could be slightly less formal than "conduct a competition".

How to use "stage a contest" in a sentence?

You can use "stage a contest" in a sentence like, "The company decided to stage a contest to boost employee morale" or "The city will stage a contest to find the best local artist."