contender

noun

con·​tend·​er kən-ˈten-dər How to pronounce contender (audio)
: 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
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.
PDFs are usually uncontested contenders (much like Microsoft) but SVG files have seemingly come out of nowhere to take up a competitive share of malicious space. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 First, Roglič and stage contender Tom Pidcock crashed and suffered punctures with 50km remaining, leaving the pair out of contention for the win — and facing a desperate battle to even regain contact with the peloton. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 May 2025 Business aside, the festival is getting high marks from the critics, with the competition line-up already throwing up multiple Palme d’Or contenders. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025 Earlier contenders Thunderstorm Artis and Slater Nalley also left strong impressions—Artis with his original compositions and Nalley with his rapid artistic development—before the final cut was made. Tahar Rajab, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for contender

Word History

Etymology

contend + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contender was in 1547

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contender. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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