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

Each contender will get 10 minutes, with three to five minutes of rapid-fire questions from Patricof and Littman. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 May 2026

Sean Payton has turned the Broncos into a legitimate Super Bowl contender in three seasons. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 May 2026

Teams looking for a GC contender for 2027 are surely considering the 30-year-old Australian. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 25 May 2026

The analysis notes that while Democrats hold an advantage, historical voting patterns in California do not guarantee a Democratic victory, and the top-two primary system could lead to unexpected outcomes if voter fragmentation occurs among multiple Democratic contenders. —Los Angeles Times, 25 May 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