1
as in candidates
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
a strong contender for the mayoral position
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in competitors
one who strives for the same thing as another
several contenders competing for the title of the city's best Italian restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contenders
The home opener, especially for non-contenders, serves as a window into the season.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
The first debate between presidential candidates occurred on May 17, 1948, when Republican contenders Thomas Dewey and Harold Stassen matched wits.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Voters, including myself, had to select seven artists from the record-tying 17 on the shortlist, the majority of them being contenders for the first time.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
What this also means is welcomer cities like Nashville and Orlando are now legitimate contenders in the innovation economy, according to JLL, which tracks talent migration, office market dynamics, and corporate investment across 135 cities globally.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
The masked killer’s latest spree made more than four times what the rest of the top-five genre contenders earned over the last three months.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
The Patrick Verona role had its own contenders.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and beyond count AI as a core pillar of their post-oil economic strategies, positioning themselves as AI superpower contenders in a heated global race.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
However, both Amazon Prime and Netflix are reportedly still in the mix as dark horse contenders to have Tomlin as a studio analyst.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
The first debate between presidential candidates occurred on May 17, 1948, when Republican contenders Thomas Dewey and Harold Stassen matched wits.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Voters, including myself, had to select seven artists from the record-tying 17 on the shortlist, the majority of them being contenders for the first time.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
What this also means is welcomer cities like Nashville and Orlando are now legitimate contenders in the innovation economy, according to JLL, which tracks talent migration, office market dynamics, and corporate investment across 135 cities globally.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
The masked killer’s latest spree made more than four times what the rest of the top-five genre contenders earned over the last three months.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
The Patrick Verona role had its own contenders.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and beyond count AI as a core pillar of their post-oil economic strategies, positioning themselves as AI superpower contenders in a heated global race.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
However, both Amazon Prime and Netflix are reportedly still in the mix as dark horse contenders to have Tomlin as a studio analyst.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contenders
Noun
-
Sacramento's League of Women Voters, which does not endorse candidates, says the voting method is a nonpartisan way to improve elections.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
While Protect Wyoming is necessarily focused within the state and on state politics, rather than federal candidates, its work stands to influence nonresidents who hunt, fish, and recreate in the state.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the first episode’s Elimination Challenge‚ which was focused on North Carolina’s state vegetable, sweet potatoes — Cochran cooked up a pork loin in the kitchen at La Belle Helene that wasn’t quite cooked through, landing her in the bottom three competitors.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
-
To help resolve these dilemmas, European industry leaders are calling for government support, including subsidies and tax breaks, to level the playing field with Chinese competitors whose products come at unbeatable prices.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
During the call, the producers reminded the contestants that they are bound by their one-year contracts.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Jordan also describes stereotyping on set, recalling producers reducing her to racial tropes, while adding that Black contestants who approached Barker would sometimes be met with visible discomfort.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Dublin congressman told KRON that the White House hopes to discredit him in the race as a frequent critic and to boost the chances of his Republican rivals.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But, despite the lightning speed at which the Chinese AI industry is moving, it’s still seen to be playing catch-up with its American rivals.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Despite significant criticism for her handling of the city’s 2025 wildfires, LA mayor leads in her race for re-election, a new poll shows, in part due to the fact that top-tier challengers decided not to run.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
On the June 2 primary ballot, Weber faces three challengers.—
John Seiler,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contenders. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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