Synonyms of challenger

challenger

noun

as in contender

one who strives for the same thing as another

the third-party challenger in the presidential election

Synonyms & Similar Words

• contender
• contestant
• competitor
• rival
• competition
• finalist
• entrant
• corrival
• opponent
• adversary
• archrival
• entry
• player
• also-ran
• antagonist
• semifinalist

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• partner
• ally
• teammate
• collaborator
• noncompetitor
• supporter
• backer

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of challenger

In 1983, the 12m yacht Azzurra — flying the YCCS burgee — represented Italy for the first time in the long history of the America’s Cup, the oldest sports trophy in international sport, finishing third in the challenger series at its first attempt. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Anta Kids, meanwhile, has become a formidable challenger, having crossed 10 billion yuan in annual gross merchandise volume by the end of 2024 and continuing to record high-single-digit offline growth into the first quarter of this year. — Li Jun, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

In the Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Education race, where incumbent Michael Vargas is seeking his second term as Area 2 trustee against challenger Kirk Thomson, the two candidates have publicly taken different stances on the issue. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Both have fiercely defended the map and went to court to defend it from challengers. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026

Foulkes, a former senior executive at CVS and the retailer Hudson’s Bay, wasn’t the only challenger to oust an incumbent Wednesday. — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

Long gone are the days when three-time champion United was feared throughout Europe and a consistent challenger for the title. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026

Unofficial results show Democrat primary challenger Adam Greenman taking the lead with 54% of the vote, with Grebien at 46%. — Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 10 Sep. 2026

At a news conference Wednesday, City Councilmember Nithya Raman, Bass’ challenger in the November mayoral election, said the city should also join the competition to take over LAHSA’s duties. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026