1
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
a strong contender for the mayoral position
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in competitor
one who strives for the same thing as another
several contenders competing for the title of the city's best Italian restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of contender
Shifts in voter sentiment, unexpected political events and each contender’s capacity to unite or expand the Democratic base will likely determine who ultimately secures the nomination.
—
Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Norway has already selected it as its official Oscar entry, and is considered a strong contender in a number of other categories, particularly in the acting categories.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2025
Fierceness wasn’t the only top contender to have poor luck at the draw.
—Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Los Angeles does not face the other three top NFC contenders in November.
—Scott Phillips, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Norway has already selected it as its official Oscar entry, and is considered a strong contender in a number of other categories, particularly in the acting categories.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2025
Fierceness wasn’t the only top contender to have poor luck at the draw.
—Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Los Angeles does not face the other three top NFC contenders in November.
—Scott Phillips, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
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The majority of interested clients are eligible candidates for PRP and PRF; however, those with blood disorders, autoimmune conditions, infections or taking blood-thinning medication should consult with their aesthetic provider first.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
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Three of the board’s trustees will be elected to full, four-year terms from a field of four candidates, including incumbents Linda Hoskins Sutton and Brad Isnard and challengers Joe Caiharr and Geoffrey Kump.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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On the surface, Çiftlik Bank—Turkish for Farm Bank—was little more than a FarmVille rip-off; the functionality for tending to digital crops and livestock was lifted more or less straight from their competitor.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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Bessent was questioned by Democrats and some Republicans for his support, in the context of Argentina being a competitor to the US in exporting soybeans to China.—
Daniel Flatley,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The moment played out on Season 3 of The Traitors, when Sandoval and the other contestants braved a creepy cabin full of singing dolls and had to memorize and perform backwards nursery rhymes.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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With a crown on her head, a crisp blue suit on her shoulders, and a giant clock around her neck, Hall tasked a man with choosing the best cake-decorating woman among a trio of contestants.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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American has fallen behind large rivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in the post-Covid luxury travel boom that has taken Seoul spa vacations and 40th birthday bashes abroad out of the chat and armed millions of consumers with high-end rewards credit cards.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
26 Oct. 2025
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Analysts say his intervention stopped escalating hostilities, though tensions persist in what remains a fragile, ongoing cold conflict between the longtime regional rivals.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In District 71, Republican incumbent Amanda Batten, who has represented the area since 2019 and is seeking her fourth full term, is running against Democratic challenger Jessica Anderson.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
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Protests broke out in commercial capital Dar es Salaam and other cities during the vote on Wednesday over the exclusion of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two biggest challengers from the presidential race, as well as what demonstrators say is increasing government repression.—
Reuters 10 hr ago,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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