The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word COMPETITIVE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
O
M
P
E
T
I
T
I
V
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "vying with others?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case vying with others? = competitive.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COMPETITIVE mean?
COMPETITIVE adjective- Capable of competing successfully
- Of or pertaining to competition
- (of someone's character) inclined to compete
- Inhibiting the action of an enzyme by binding with it
- (euphemistically, of prices) cheap, especially used of quality products