Synonyms of candidates

candidates

noun

plural of candidate

as in applicants

one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award

each candidate for town council was allowed to speak at the candidates' forum

Synonyms & Similar Words

• applicants
• contenders
• hopefuls
• aspirants
• prospects
• campaigners
• competitors
• nominees
• seekers
• contestants
• expectants
• entries
• qualifiers
• entrants
• appliers
• favorites
• claimants
• pretenders
• spoilers
• stalking horses
• running mates
• favorite sons
• crown princes
• dark horses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• incumbents
• officeholders
• awardees
• inductees
• noncandidates
• honorees
• dropouts

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of candidates

If Woltemade leaves then Wissa, Joe Willock, who is set to stay, and Jacob Ramsey are the obvious candidates to compete to play there. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026

During a meeting last week, officials held drawings to determine the order that candidates' names will appear on the ballot. — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026

Republicans are trying to tie the Democratic Party in general to the democratic socialist candidates who have succeeded this year in running for office. — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

The candidates are yet to captivate voters with a robust action plan that seriously takes into account the ideological, economic, and governance gaps that enable bad actors to thrive. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026

This story is the first in a weekly series highlighting where the two candidates for Georgia governor stand on important issues. — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, outside the five districts that Democrats hope to switch, there are safely Democratic districts where progressive candidates are jousting with mainstream rivals, a subset of the national party’s ideological conflict. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026

These questions challenge candidates to acknowledge mistakes and share credit—the antithesis of their natural motivation to self-aggrandize and create a heroic image of their impact. — Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026

In races from Ohio to Wisconsin to Pennsylvania, candidates in both parties are scrambling to distance themselves from data center projects their own leaders spent years courting. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026