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

Trump told The Wall Street Journal on Friday that Warsh is a top contender for the role, joining National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett as a front-runner to succeed Jerome Powell. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025

Previous contenders for higher office have come under fire for missing congressional votes. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 15 Dec. 2025

But the 23-year-old transferred in from New Mexico State University ahead of the 2024 season and the Commodores became a SEC contender ever since. —Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 14 Dec. 2025

England’s ultimate finisher, Chloe Kelly, became the Lionesses’ latest contender for Sports Personality of the Year despite not starting a single game. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025

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