as in competitors
one who strives for the same thing as another
the third-party challenger in the presidential election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 challengers
Starbucks has other challengers, like the fast-growing drive-thru chains 7 Brew, Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros.
—
Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Levine Cava was reelected in 2024 by a wide margin over a mostly Republican field of challengers.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Between the Good and Pretti shootings, GOP operatives had been hammering how Democratic incumbents and challengers in competitive 2026 midterm races were embracing anti-ICE positions, which echoed those previous calls to throttle the agency.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Opinion polls from late December showed support for his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at around 70%, with its nearest challengers, the main Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, at 19%.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
The incumbent senator is running for reelection but faces a pair of high-profile primary challengers.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
February kicks off with the visit of Manchester City on Sunday — opposition Spurs fans justifiably look forward to facing, having beaten them in three of their past four meetings but, regardless, a tough test against title challengers.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
But 2026 isn’t 2022, with years of GOP control giving challengers clearer lines of attack.
—Karen Brooks Harper, Dallas Morning News, 10 Jan. 2026
So far, Bass’ major challengers are embracing that strategy.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Levine Cava was reelected in 2024 by a wide margin over a mostly Republican field of challengers.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Between the Good and Pretti shootings, GOP operatives had been hammering how Democratic incumbents and challengers in competitive 2026 midterm races were embracing anti-ICE positions, which echoed those previous calls to throttle the agency.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Opinion polls from late December showed support for his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at around 70%, with its nearest challengers, the main Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, at 19%.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
The incumbent senator is running for reelection but faces a pair of high-profile primary challengers.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
February kicks off with the visit of Manchester City on Sunday — opposition Spurs fans justifiably look forward to facing, having beaten them in three of their past four meetings but, regardless, a tough test against title challengers.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
But 2026 isn’t 2022, with years of GOP control giving challengers clearer lines of attack.
—Karen Brooks Harper, Dallas Morning News, 10 Jan. 2026
So far, Bass’ major challengers are embracing that strategy.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challengers
Noun
-
Beginning in Anchorage and finishing in Nome, competitors race through blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and gale force winds in a racing event that crosses through a rugged landscape of tundra and spruce forests, over hills and mountain passes, across rivers and even over sea ice.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The idea gained steam when a national commission warned the nation was falling behind its competitors in educating the youth and the educator's theory was promoted in 1988 by the president of the American Federation of Teachers.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Chock and Bates edged out French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron by less than two points in an early showdown of individual gold medal contenders.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Are the Rangers still contenders?—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The fun of The Mole is in putting yourself in the contestants' shoes; like them (well, all but one of them), the audience is not informed of who the mole actually is until the very end.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The menu goes beyond basic survival food and leans into the show's reward challenges, giving fans a literal taste of what contestants eat in Fiji.—
Tania Francois,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mich -- Mila Holloway scored a career-high 26 points to help Michigan outlast Michigan State in overtime in the rivals' first matchup with both teams ranked in the top 15 of The Associated Press women's college basketball poll.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
In early May, with United due to host arch-rivals Liverpool in the Premier League during a time in which Covid-19 restrictions meant fans were not allowed into stadiums, supporters plotted a huge protest around one of the most high-profile fixtures in English football.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Challengers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challengers. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
