contender
noun
con·tend·er
kən-ˈten-dər 
: one that contends
especially
: a competitor for a championship or high honor
a heavyweight title contender
the leading presidential contenders
Examples of contender in a Sentence
There are several contestants, but only two real contenders.
This latest defeat means that she's no longer a contender for the world title.
Recent Examples on the Web
This is set to be the first real test to see if this Hurricanes team is a surprise contender or not.
—
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
But there were other contenders too.
—Heather Abbott, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Larson entered the final laps in third place among the four title contenders, feeling his chances slipping.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025
Lionsgate is going with a smart awards strategy in hopes of becoming a dark horse Oscar contender.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
But there were other contenders too.
—Heather Abbott, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Larson entered the final laps in third place among the four title contenders, feeling his chances slipping.
—Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Nov. 2025
Lionsgate is going with a smart awards strategy in hopes of becoming a dark horse Oscar contender.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contender. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share