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
Patrick Hoopes, the 2025 World bronze medalist on pommel horse, added to his medal tally, winning gold over Canadian and Colombian challengers.
—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
The mayor has used his political capital instead to back challengers who, by definition, can deliver less federal funding.
—
Bradley Tusk,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
The Democratic race was especially close, with the top four challengers within a few percentage points of each other.
—
ABC News,
19 June 2026
But the four new challengers were announced.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
In the 36th Assembly District, GOP Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez received just over 44% of the vote against a field of Democratic challengers.
—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
19 June 2026
Season 42 continues on Thursday with Adam Remsen returning as champion to face two new challengers.
—
Usa Today Staff,
USA Today,
18 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
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
The mayor has used his political capital instead to back challengers who, by definition, can deliver less federal funding.
—
Bradley Tusk,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
The Democratic race was especially close, with the top four challengers within a few percentage points of each other.
—
ABC News,
19 June 2026
But the four new challengers were announced.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
In the 36th Assembly District, GOP Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez received just over 44% of the vote against a field of Democratic challengers.
—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
19 June 2026
Season 42 continues on Thursday with Adam Remsen returning as champion to face two new challengers.
—
Usa Today Staff,
USA Today,
18 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challengers
Noun
-
With ruthless competitors who will stop at nothing to dethrone and destroy them, the Whitlocks are a blue-collar dynasty at the edge of extinction – and the old king is fighting to hold onto the crown.
-
Amazon is currently leading the market in consumer trust, with 30 percent of shoppers favoring its AI shopping assistants over competitors such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Walmart.
Noun
-
Other potential 2028 contenders are also beginning to stake out their positions on AI.
-
Several Olympic medal contenders surprisingly exited early, adding pressure for future events.
Noun
-
First performed as an Edinburgh Fringe one-off, where contestants included a bunch of Horne’s comedian friends, Taskmaster has grown into a genuine phenomenon.
-
The Traitors premiered on Peacock in 2023 with a mix of civilian and celebrity contestants, shifting to all celebrity competitors for its second season.
Noun
-
The intoxicating pull of the manosphere – the hyper-online community led by men who tout misogynistic definitions of manliness – has given Glass a boisterous brigade of rivals.
-
But its comfort, confidence, and overall road smoothness equal many of its rivals’ personas.
Cite this Entry
“Challengers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challengers. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
