Be equal to the competition (5)
I believe the answer is:
match
I believe this is a triple definition!
'be' is the first definition.
(matching is a kind of being)
'equal' is the second definition.
('match' can be a synonym of 'equal')
'to' is a link.
'the competition' is the third definition.
(match is a kind of competition)
(Other definitions for match that I've seen before include "Suit; fixture" , "Game; lighter" , "one's struck" , "You can have a love or shouting one" , "Equal contender" .)