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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Already the jobs issue in Hollywood has become a contentious part of the race for governor in California, with several candidates pledging to eliminate the $750 million cap put in place by Newsom, which already was more than double what the state was previously capped at.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
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In their quest to regain control of Congress, Democratic candidates are outpacing Republicans in midterm fundraising for key House and Senate races.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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An additional four states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and New York — require insurers to offer at least one Medigap policy to all applicants either year-round or during an annual enrollment period, depending on the state.—
Julie Appleby,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Even when applicants were approved, Black families often had to pay more.—
Chase Jordan
April 22,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As the Spurs push to win it all, showing the supporting cast is still a playoff-level team is a good sign for the Spurs’ status as true title contenders.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, the race’s overall front-runner, dismissed the Democratic contenders seeking Newsom’s seal of approval as misguided and a waste of time.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aspirants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aspirants. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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