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

Synonyms of contender

• candidate

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

The match became even more important after Spain, the heavy favorite to win Group H and a contender to win tournament, tied Cape Verde 0-0 in the earlier match, leaving the group lead up for grabs. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026

In late March, John Tortorella took over a Vegas Golden Knights team that had lost 12 of its last 16 games and didn’t remotely resemble a championship contender. —Jesse Granger, New York Times, 16 June 2026

This season should be the origin story for a democratic socialist contender for the Iron Throne. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026

Kang said the demonstrations reinforce Hyundai Motor Group’s commitment to industrial humanoid robotics and position Boston Dynamics as a leading contender in the emerging market. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

contend + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contender

• bartender
• defender
• engender
• extender
• offender
• pretender
• provender
• surrender
• suspender
• transgender
• bender
• blender