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

Spain on Wednesday publicly staked its claim to the powerful post, with its former central bank chief seen as a top contender. —semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026

Cherokee Trail coach Jeff Buck beefed up his feeder program, the Junior Cougars, in order to solidify his program’s standing as a perennial 5A contender. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2026

But with an overstuffed field of nine major Democratic contenders — San José Mayor Matt Mahan was said to have entered the contest too late for consideration — the vote proved to be a mere formality. —Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026

One of the final stops for top contenders on the Oscars trail really heated up the race on Sunday. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 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