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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Recent Examples of candidates
Peru is set to hold presidential elections April 12, in which more than two dozen candidates will participate.
—
Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Three candidates are running in the Republican primary for Alabama attorney general, which will take place on May 19.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
With two months to go until the primary election, Democratic candidates are trying to stand out in what's shaping up to be a crowded field.
—Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Ziraix said common mistakes candidates make is failing to complete the entire declaration of candidacy or to bring their voter registration verification form.
—Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice, 19 Mar. 2026
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reached out to all candidates and spoke with many on the phone about their priorities and plans if elected to the council.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Companies must prioritize candidates that fit their strategy and offer the strongest return — which means many promising therapies never move forward.
—Annette Bakker, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Swalwell, who has represented Northern California in Congress since 2013, is among the top Democrats in the governor’s race, according to a recent poll, but thus far none of the candidates has a breakaway lead.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
On average, 56% of spending by Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation’s leadership PACs was donations to other candidates, according to an analysis by The Frontier of federal campaign data.
—Clifton Adcock, The Frontier, 18 Mar. 2026
Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Three candidates are running in the Republican primary for Alabama attorney general, which will take place on May 19.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
With two months to go until the primary election, Democratic candidates are trying to stand out in what's shaping up to be a crowded field.
—Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Ziraix said common mistakes candidates make is failing to complete the entire declaration of candidacy or to bring their voter registration verification form.
—Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice, 19 Mar. 2026
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reached out to all candidates and spoke with many on the phone about their priorities and plans if elected to the council.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Companies must prioritize candidates that fit their strategy and offer the strongest return — which means many promising therapies never move forward.
—Annette Bakker, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Swalwell, who has represented Northern California in Congress since 2013, is among the top Democrats in the governor’s race, according to a recent poll, but thus far none of the candidates has a breakaway lead.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
On average, 56% of spending by Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation’s leadership PACs was donations to other candidates, according to an analysis by The Frontier of federal campaign data.
—Clifton Adcock, The Frontier, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for candidates
Noun
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Lawmakers kept in a provision that would require applicants for public benefits to have their citizenship status verified through a Department of Homeland Security-run database before being approved to receive benefits.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
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None set out at the beginning of high school seeking a path that leads to MIT, which accepts only about five students for every 100 applicants.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Spartans are almost always contenders but have not cut down the nets since 2000.—
Steve Kornacki,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
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Miller made the airport a similar priority while staking out several more moderate positions than other top contenders in the left-leaning field.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Candidates from all walks of life run for Congress each election cycle, from backgrounds in politics and government to adjacent fields such as law or public policy, but some hopefuls are leveraging their public profile as media personalities to help drive their campaigns.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Mar. 2026
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This year, the field of hopefuls was bigger than ever.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Candidates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/candidates. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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