as in candidates
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
a debate between the two aspirants for the highest office
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Recent Examples of aspirants
Some people defended Altman’s business acumen and dismissed his rivals, especially Sutskever and Amodei, as failed aspirants to his throne.
—
Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
That neutrality could come at a cost, some experts say, should the two GOP aspirants prevail.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
This time around, absent Wilson or other prominent Black aspirants, those voters would be likely to vote for Johnson.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Many aspirants, like Yusuf, consider jars of skin lightening cream to be essential, along with access to exclusive gyms and going to the right hair salon.
—Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Despite many aspirants and imitators, there really hasn’t been anything like it since.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, both incumbent members of Congress and aspirants will be running in districts that have been radically gerrymandered to shrink Republicans’ tiny delegation even more, as Democrats seek to regain control of Congress.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
There are also seven private villas—airy, palatial, ideal for families or James Bond aspirants—along with an expansion set to be unveiled in 2026.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
That neutrality could come at a cost, some experts say, should the two GOP aspirants prevail.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
This time around, absent Wilson or other prominent Black aspirants, those voters would be likely to vote for Johnson.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Many aspirants, like Yusuf, consider jars of skin lightening cream to be essential, along with access to exclusive gyms and going to the right hair salon.
—Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Despite many aspirants and imitators, there really hasn’t been anything like it since.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, both incumbent members of Congress and aspirants will be running in districts that have been radically gerrymandered to shrink Republicans’ tiny delegation even more, as Democrats seek to regain control of Congress.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
There are also seven private villas—airy, palatial, ideal for families or James Bond aspirants—along with an expansion set to be unveiled in 2026.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aspirants
Noun
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The mayor is banking on his popularity with working class New Yorkers and his antipathy towards Israel to put his candidates over the top.—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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Part of it is Republican candidates trying to appease independent voters.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Jordan remembers one owner who accepted a tenant who had been outbid by other applicants but agreed to build out the closets at their own cost.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
17 June 2026
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Michael Bekesha, one of the attorneys who initially sued the City of Evanston on behalf of six plaintiffs in May 2024, said in an interview that applicants weren’t required to demonstrate that they were specifically harmed by the City of Evanston, leaving race as the only criteria.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
Noun
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The former Atlanta Braves prospect has accumulated parts of eight major-league seasons while pitching for multiple organizations, giving him valuable experience that contenders often seek during the long grind of a season.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The final contenders include Norway’s AF Gruppen, France’s Eiffage Génie Civil, and a joint venture between Sweden’s Skanska and Norway’s Vassbakk & Stol.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aspirants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspirants. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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