rival vs equal

rival and equal both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
rival	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
equal	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

As verbs, rival and equal are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of rival include match, touch.

rival (noun)	equal (noun)
the contestant you hope to defeat	a person who is of equal standing with another in a group

rival (adjective)	equal (adjective)
as a rival in a competition	having the same quantity, value, or measure as another
	having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

rival (verb)	equal (verb)
be the rival of, be in competition with	make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching
be equal to in quality or ability	be identical or equivalent to
	be equal to in quality or ability