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

See IndieWire’s full list of 2026 Emmy predictions, complete with frontrunners, contenders, and long shots on our website. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 15 July 2026

Bellingham has six goals and an assist and could be a contender for the player of the tournament award. — Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Coon and James are viewed as viable contenders in best actress and supporting actress, respectively, for the Nattiv drama. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 July 2026

Meanwhile, Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh, who have jointly led the bank’s commercial and investment banking division since early 2024, are now the top contenders to succeed Dimon. — Hugh Son,laya Neelakandan,leslie Picker,ritika Shah, CNBC, 14 July 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