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
Trump has been actively endorsing challengers against Republican critics ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
—
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Streeting is likely to face other challengers, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, if the latter can win a special election for a seat in the House of Commons that is expected to take place within the next few weeks.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
Polls show incumbent Mayor Bass with a big lead over challengers Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman in the race for Latino votes.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Streeting, whose political ambitions have long been known, is one of several challengers who could try to unseat the prime minister.
—CBS News, 16 May 2026
Those who deviate are eliminated, leaving a trail of blood that deters other would-be challengers.
—Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 15 May 2026
The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case on the grounds that the challengers did not have legal standing to bring the claim.
—Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 15 May 2026
In the heart of San Jose’s East Side, incumbent Councilmember Peter Ortiz is defending his seat against three challengers in District 5, an area where working-class immigrant neighborhoods define the landscape, and Latino and Asian residents comprise nearly 90% of the population.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Dusso doubts that the challengers would’ve won on a campaign solely against the redistricting effort.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Streeting is likely to face other challengers, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, if the latter can win a special election for a seat in the House of Commons that is expected to take place within the next few weeks.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
Polls show incumbent Mayor Bass with a big lead over challengers Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman in the race for Latino votes.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Streeting, whose political ambitions have long been known, is one of several challengers who could try to unseat the prime minister.
—CBS News, 16 May 2026
Those who deviate are eliminated, leaving a trail of blood that deters other would-be challengers.
—Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 15 May 2026
The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case on the grounds that the challengers did not have legal standing to bring the claim.
—Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 15 May 2026
In the heart of San Jose’s East Side, incumbent Councilmember Peter Ortiz is defending his seat against three challengers in District 5, an area where working-class immigrant neighborhoods define the landscape, and Latino and Asian residents comprise nearly 90% of the population.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Dusso doubts that the challengers would’ve won on a campaign solely against the redistricting effort.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challengers
Noun
-
Collins’s main competitors are Derek Dooley, the former head coach of the football programs at Louisiana Tech and the University of Tennessee, and Buddy Carter, another Georgia congressman.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
Viola’s reaction spotlighted growing frustration among competitors who believe the ruling body is using procedural fixes to avoid addressing biological differences in girls' sports.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
By any interpretation, Euphoria had established itself as one of HBO’s top-performing awards contenders.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
22 May 2026
-
Through best-of-three trials, eight remaining contenders will advance to Oklahoma City.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
The sketch frequently ran throughout Ferrell's time as a cast member from 1995 to 2002 and often featured that week's celebrity host as one of the contestants.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
The United Kingdom landed in last place among the 25 contestants in the finals.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
White Sox fans got the last laugh on Sunday afternoon as their squad completed a wild, thrilling comeback victory over their crosstown rivals.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Ronda Rousey needed just 17 seconds to defeat Gina Carano via armbar on Saturday night, and her rivals needed about the same amount of time to take to social media to mock the performance.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Challengers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challengers. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
