as in competitors
one who strives for the same thing as another
the third-party challenger in the presidential election
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Recent Examples of challengers
Season 42 continues on Monday with Adam Remsen returning as champion to face two new challengers.
—
Usa Today Staff, USA Today, 15 June 2026
There were no challengers running against him.
—CNN Money, 13 June 2026
Candidates and endorsements There are current councilmen — Julian Jones, Izzy Patoka and Pat Young — and two new challengers, Mansoor Shams and Nick Stewart — all vying to be the Democratic nominee.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Lombardo faced six primary challengers of his own, but sailed to victory Tuesday night.
—Paul Boger, NPR, 10 June 2026
The mayoral race pits McCann, a Republican and the council’s longest-serving member, against two Democratic-leaning challengers.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Republican Primary Lindsey Graham, South Carolina’s senior senator, is facing a crowd of five Republican challengers, including Mark Lynch, a business owner.
—New York Times, 9 June 2026
County Assessor Claude Parrish, Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen and Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Friedenrich all led their challengers by more than 70% of the vote.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
Gomez’s other challengers include Republican Calvin Lee, a global healthcare entrepreneur, and no-party candidate Loren Colin, the owner of a marketing agency.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 3 June 2026
Usa Today Staff, USA Today, 15 June 2026
There were no challengers running against him.
—CNN Money, 13 June 2026
Candidates and endorsements There are current councilmen — Julian Jones, Izzy Patoka and Pat Young — and two new challengers, Mansoor Shams and Nick Stewart — all vying to be the Democratic nominee.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Lombardo faced six primary challengers of his own, but sailed to victory Tuesday night.
—Paul Boger, NPR, 10 June 2026
The mayoral race pits McCann, a Republican and the council’s longest-serving member, against two Democratic-leaning challengers.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Republican Primary Lindsey Graham, South Carolina’s senior senator, is facing a crowd of five Republican challengers, including Mark Lynch, a business owner.
—New York Times, 9 June 2026
County Assessor Claude Parrish, Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen and Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Friedenrich all led their challengers by more than 70% of the vote.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
Gomez’s other challengers include Republican Calvin Lee, a global healthcare entrepreneur, and no-party candidate Loren Colin, the owner of a marketing agency.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challengers
Noun
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By graduating from a 17-company backlog of pending CFTC applications submitted in the past year, ProphetX has gained a momentary edge over direct competitors that haven’t been approved yet.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
16 June 2026
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Fox is acquiring the streaming and device giant for $22 billion, the two companies announced Monday, in an acquisition that earns Fox a new set of media competitors and raises thorny questions.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The former Atlanta Braves prospect has accumulated parts of eight major-league seasons while pitching for multiple organizations, giving him valuable experience that contenders often seek during the long grind of a season.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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The final contenders include Norway’s AF Gruppen, France’s Eiffage Génie Civil, and a joint venture between Sweden’s Skanska and Norway’s Vassbakk & Stol.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
In the wake of the docuseries landing on Netflix earlier this year, several previous contestants and judges have spoken out about their time on the show and working with Banks in particular.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
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The long-running series, hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri, pits four contestants against each other in a challenge that combines grocery shopping and high-stakes cooking.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
Noun
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There followed a series of European successes (Italy, Spain, Germany, France) before the anguish, for Brazilians, of seeing big South American rivals Argentina win a third world title in Qatar four years ago.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
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Newsday via Getty Images The Atlanta Braves entered the season expecting to face a significant challenge from their division rivals, particularly after the New York Mets revamped their own roster with several star additions.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Challengers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challengers. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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