1
as in champs
the person who comes in first in a competition
the champion of the national spelling bee
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proponents
a person who actively supports or favors a cause
she's the biggest champion of budget reform in the Congress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in advocates
to promote the interests or cause of
he has always championed the protection of abused animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of champions
Brent Lang, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Hitting the game-winner earned Koehnemann the team’s chain of champions, which is passed from player to player for making a positive impact on a win or a practice.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Gabriel Arias also went deep for the Guardians, who took two of three games in the series from the two-time defending champions.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Four time world champions Italy failed to qualify after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
—Josh Feldman, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Amid the Toronto Blue Jays’ fast start to the 2026 season, the defending AL champions made a trade with the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Scheierman also hit two earlier threes, grabbed five rebounds and pestered Gilgeous-Alexander to force a third-quarter turnover to help Boston take down the defending NBA champions 119-109.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
May's games are highlighted by a three-game home series against the Philadelphia Phillies from May 15-17, and the Pirates travel to Canada for a three-game series against the 2025 American League champions, the Toronto Blue Jays, from May 22-24.
—Michael Guise, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
In two of those, the Bruins had the misfortune of running into a wall — eventual champions South Carolina in 2022 and LSU in 2023.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
Hannah Coates, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2026
Crosswell has secured a series of high-profile endorsements, including from the VoteVets political action group, which champions Democratic political candidates.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The Hotel Naru also champions a community-centric approach.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
The hotel’s art is curated by OZ Art NWA, which champions Northwest Arkansas artists.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
Organizing consultant Marie Kondo also champions the benefits of a tidy workspace.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
In addition to developing feature genre stories, Schwan is one of the founders of Silverlake Scream Show, an annual horror anthology screening event that champions emerging genre filmmakers.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
Like Redford, Frasure also champions low taxes.
—Idaho Statesman, 29 Oct. 2025
The Republican who ostensibly champions liberty but justifies authoritarian impulses from the White House.
—John H Bolthouse, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
Sony Pictures Classics is overseen by Tom Bernard and Michael Barker, two outspoken champions of the theatrical experience.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Hitting the game-winner earned Koehnemann the team’s chain of champions, which is passed from player to player for making a positive impact on a win or a practice.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Gabriel Arias also went deep for the Guardians, who took two of three games in the series from the two-time defending champions.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Four time world champions Italy failed to qualify after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
—Josh Feldman, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Amid the Toronto Blue Jays’ fast start to the 2026 season, the defending AL champions made a trade with the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Scheierman also hit two earlier threes, grabbed five rebounds and pestered Gilgeous-Alexander to force a third-quarter turnover to help Boston take down the defending NBA champions 119-109.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
May's games are highlighted by a three-game home series against the Philadelphia Phillies from May 15-17, and the Pirates travel to Canada for a three-game series against the 2025 American League champions, the Toronto Blue Jays, from May 22-24.
—Michael Guise, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
In two of those, the Bruins had the misfortune of running into a wall — eventual champions South Carolina in 2022 and LSU in 2023.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Kat Chan, nutritionist and author of Substack’s Full Serving, champions it as one of the most grounding ways to start the day, particularly in colder months.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2026
Crosswell has secured a series of high-profile endorsements, including from the VoteVets political action group, which champions Democratic political candidates.
—Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The Hotel Naru also champions a community-centric approach.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
The hotel’s art is curated by OZ Art NWA, which champions Northwest Arkansas artists.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
Organizing consultant Marie Kondo also champions the benefits of a tidy workspace.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
In addition to developing feature genre stories, Schwan is one of the founders of Silverlake Scream Show, an annual horror anthology screening event that champions emerging genre filmmakers.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
Like Redford, Frasure also champions low taxes.
—Idaho Statesman, 29 Oct. 2025
The Republican who ostensibly champions liberty but justifies authoritarian impulses from the White House.
—John H Bolthouse, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for champions
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the reigning champs frequently put Towns in defensive actions, often creating wide-open driving lanes to the rim, much to the ire of head coach Mike Brown.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
That would shatter the old single-season record, also held by Bednar, of 119 — set by the Cup champs of ’21-22.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Even proponents acknowledge limitations.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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While proponents say changes have made streets safer, critics suspect projects that reduce space for cars will only make traffic congestion worse — even after the construction disruptions end.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His coverage is funded by The Just Trust, a nonprofit that advocates for a humane justice system and reforms to problems in the system.—
Patrick Wilson,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
-
With this in mind, the American Academy of Pediatrics advocates for the health of all children who must avoid certain foods to stay healthy.—
Dr. Sonja O'Leary,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Which states have had the most Powerball winners?—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
That’s relatively common in figure skating for gold medal winners who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After the Justice Department memo, however, the president suggested there was nothing more to say about Epstein and the country, including his own supporters, should simply move on.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The official campaign had focussed its resources on Iowa and New Hampshire, which left a late-primary state like New York with few channels for supporters’ enthusiasm.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Founded in 1935, the Lake Forest Caucus vets residents interested in serving on city boards and commissions and endorses candidates for local offices, including mayor, City Council, and the city’s two local public school boards.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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The cops are rendered so clueless and so steadfast in their stupidity, the series accidentally endorses ACAB.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The young girl is reading at a 12th-grade level and mastering math concepts such as fractions, decimals and even exponents.—
Jasmine Viel,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Among the most powerful exponents of this view are billionaires Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen; both venture capitalists have their own investments in the nuclear energy sector and are influential Trump supporters.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Champions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/champions. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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