This is the 10783rd most frequent Portuguese word.
igualar
To make equal; to match; to level.
In this sentence, 'igualar' is used to express the act of making one's performance equal or comparable to someone else's.
Ele trabalhou para igualar seu desempenho ao dos colegas.
He worked to match his performance to that of his colleagues.
Here, 'igualar' conveys actions aimed at reaching an equivalency with previous records.
Os atletas tentam igualar ou superar os recordes anteriores.
Athletes try to equalize or surpass previous records.
In this context, 'igualar' is applied to denote the act of making levels consistent or uniform across a group.