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 The potential candidates will also hear more cynical arguments in favor of running no matter what. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Kristin Pawlik and Wendy Howerton garnered the most votes among the three candidates in the March nonpartisan judicial race, but neither got more than the 50% required to win outright. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 In recent history, the Justice Department's practice has been to advise prosecutors not to take any overt investigative steps against members of Congress or candidates within 60 days of an election. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 So don’t ask us to make a pick between any of the top candidates right now. — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 The pack of Democratic candidates was so large that party leaders initially urged struggling candidates — including Becerra — to drop out to avoid splitting the vote. — Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Lonely stage Georgia’s candidates are about to get two days in the spotlight. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Restricting the pool of potential managers to relatives excludes better-qualified candidates who can bring expertise and experience that members of the family lack. — Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 While there are only so many cancer patients, all of us are candidates for screening. — H. Gilbert Welch, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for candidates
  1. applicants
  2. contenders
  3. hopefuls
Noun
  • To be eligible, applicants must be seeking enrollment at the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment as a first-time freshman for Fall 2027.
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Looming changes tied to ‘payment error rates’ State agencies and some state legislatures are imposing stricter rules and requiring applicants to provide more paperwork documenting their income, expenses and the number of people in their household.
    — Tracy Roof, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of applicants
Noun
  • In a defining game that many thought would expose problems masked by UCLA’s early-season success, the Bruins — though imperfect — vociferously announced their arrival to the college football world as legitimate playoff contenders.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • By the end of spring, four main contenders emerged in sophomores Buchanan and SJ Alofaituli and freshmen Congdon and Jackson Cantwell.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of contenders
Noun
  • From the interstate to the eastern suburbs, Citrus Heights’ city council hopefuls are focused on Sunrise Mall.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • During her time at the Mansion, Elle meets Anna (Depp), one of seven hopefuls vying to be Playmate of the Month.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of hopefuls

Browse Nearby Words

candidate
candidates
candidly
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Cite this Entry

“Candidates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/candidates. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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