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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Suspicious activity could lead to the disqualification of candidates and a permanent suspension of the Athlete of the Week poll.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Her comments come as Democrats face a leadership crossroads in Washington, with long-serving figures under scrutiny and younger candidates pushing for change.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Eighty-nine applicants from thirty-seven countries received their certificates of citizenship.—
Toby Meyjes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
At the time, applicants were required to take four to six hours of classroom instruction on firearm safety and laws.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Yet Harris lingers near the top of the 2028 Democratic presidential contenders in most polling because the party lacks viable alternatives with comparable name identification.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
With seven races remaining in the Xfinity Series season, Eckes is ready to play spoiler and steal a victory from one of the playoff contenders.—
Joseph Wolkin,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aspirants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspirants. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share