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
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
Amid a fresh round of Oscar buzz for his performance in Marty Supreme, Chalamet is actively rejecting the contender playbook.
—
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
The only team based in Florida to never reach the NFL’s biggest game, Jacksonville now stands among the legit Super Bowl contenders, deep into an NFL regular season characterized by greater competitive parity.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
The Eagles entered the season as Super Bowl contenders.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
Well, there are few contenders that could win the three top guild honors and the best picture Oscar as well, with One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Sinners, Marty Supreme and Frankenstein among the possibilities.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
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Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
The only team based in Florida to never reach the NFL’s biggest game, Jacksonville now stands among the legit Super Bowl contenders, deep into an NFL regular season characterized by greater competitive parity.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
The Eagles entered the season as Super Bowl contenders.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
Well, there are few contenders that could win the three top guild honors and the best picture Oscar as well, with One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Sinners, Marty Supreme and Frankenstein among the possibilities.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contender. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
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