killer instinct vs rival

killer instinct

noun
  • Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see killer, instinct. 

  • The natural inclination to do whatever is necessary to succeed (including extreme violence) 

rival

noun
  • Someone or something with similar claims of quality or distinction as another. 

  • A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a rival may be a primary or necessary goal of a competitor. 

verb
  • To be equal to, or match, or to surpass another. 

  • To oppose or compete with. 

  • To strive to equal or excel; to emulate. 

adj
  • Having the same pretensions or claims; standing in competition for superiority. 

How often have the words killer instinct and rival occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )