as in candidates
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
a debate between the two aspirants for the highest office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of aspirants
Both men reflect a cohort of youthful African aspirants aiming to ride popular disenchantments with governments to high office.
—
Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The nominating petitions are rolling out, fast and furious, with 10 or more aspirants hoping to take the field in some districts.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Intoxicated by the attention—and the presence of the wannabe tragedienne Gloria (a sinuous, Kurt Weill–crooning Greta Lee)—Saxberger nevertheless must reckon with the authenticity of this newfound circle of aspirants.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
But once Abbas leaves office, the competition among the three men—and any other aspirants—could potentially turn violent.
—Grant Rumley, Foreign Affairs, 9 Mar. 2017
Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The nominating petitions are rolling out, fast and furious, with 10 or more aspirants hoping to take the field in some districts.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Intoxicated by the attention—and the presence of the wannabe tragedienne Gloria (a sinuous, Kurt Weill–crooning Greta Lee)—Saxberger nevertheless must reckon with the authenticity of this newfound circle of aspirants.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
But once Abbas leaves office, the competition among the three men—and any other aspirants—could potentially turn violent.
—Grant Rumley, Foreign Affairs, 9 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspirants
Noun
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That’s a strong selling point at a time when many organizations are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill security roles.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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Throw in the fact that LSU doesn’t have a full-time president right now, as William Tate left for Rutgers in May, and coaching candidates may not get an answer to who exactly their boss is.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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More than 4,000 applicants submitted proposals to perform broadband expansion work in Texas.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Oct. 2025
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While Mounds View has had several retail applicants looking to sell cannabis, none currently operate in the city.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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From October through November, in addition to weeks-long festivals in major global centers like New York and London, there are a growing number of regional film festivals that host plenty of major contenders.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
23 Oct. 2025
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While there’s no place like home, these are all a few worthy close contenders.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aspirants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspirants. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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