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

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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 candidates In an interview with the online political pundit Hassan Piker, Gray said that Socialist candidates should run in seats that will flip blue. — Jack Harvel july 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026 At free, Louisiana Tech transfer Jacob Fields and Jordan Lester are the two primary candidates to know. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026 Authorities arrested presidential candidates, opposition figures, business leaders and journalists ahead of that vote as the government intensified its criminalization of dissent. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026 Thank you for the analysis and recommendations of the candidates for judges on our ballots. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026 Voters wanted candidates who spoke boldly against the horrors that Israel has unleashed on the Palestinian people, and rewarded those candidates with decisive wins in race after race. — Danny Kaplowitz, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026 With less than four months until voting begins in the midterm general election, Democratic congressional candidates running in the North, West and Northwest suburbs are far better funded than their Republican rivals, records reveal. — Russell Lissau, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 With millions of candidates fighting for a highly limited pool of university seats and government jobs, a single exam can determine their entire economic future. — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2026 Job candidates are using AI to fake their way through interviews, and recruiters are paranoid. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for candidates
  1. applicants
  2. contenders
  3. hopefuls
Noun
  • Neurodivergent applicants may struggle to communicate effectively in an interview but outperform their peers in the actual job.
    — Cami Fateh, Vogue, 22 July 2026
  • Previously, applicants were to be reviewed by a screening committee to suggest top applicants to the superintendent’s leadership team, who then sent a recommendation for filling the position.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026
Definition of applicants
Noun
  • Spence leaves behind a stellar 28-2 record, including a six-year welterweight reign and wins over top contenders, ending his career on his own terms.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Following a tumultuous term that saw the last Jackson County Executive recalled from office, Jackson County residents will choose from a crowded primary field of contenders for the county’s top seat on August 4.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026
Definition of contenders
Noun
  • Kansas’ three Democratic governor hopefuls dug in on the issues and took shots at each other’s integrity and effectiveness in an hourlong Tuesday-evening television debate hosted by Topeka’s WIBW.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
  • The top two vote-getters out of 16 hopefuls will advance to the November general election.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of hopefuls

Browse Nearby Words

candidate
candidates
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Cite this Entry

“Candidates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/candidates. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on candidates

Nglish: Translation of candidates for Spanish Speakers

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