CONTENDER Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

contender

noun

kən-ˈten-dər

Definition of contender

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

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 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 contender The Bears looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders in their 34-17 win over Seattle on Monday, handing the Seahawks their first loss by multiple scores since 2024. — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026 That little movie ended up being the Cannes breakout Club Kid, which received rave reviews, sold at the festival to A24 for $17 million, and is now a bona fide awards-season contender. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026 Over the decades, Rockwell tried his hand at a mix of projects—somber indies like sci-fi drama Moon (2009), studio awards contenders including The Green Mile (1999), and mainstream fare like Iron Man 2 (2010). — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026 Bryson DeChambeau, perhaps the most ardent promoter of LIV among current major championship contenders, faces an uncertain future after the dissolution of the league. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contender

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender

Noun

If El-Sayed loses, there will be a fight over blame between Democrats who spent tens of millions of dollars to support him and progressives who’ll argue that the party establishment can’t be trusted when leftist candidates win a nomination.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
John James and Mike Rogers, while both Republicans, are very different political candidates running markedly different campaigns against two very different opponents.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of candidate

Noun

For The Uninterested Woman Dating Show, Navarrette hilariously played Dane, one of the f*ckboy contestants, along with Jane Wickline and Sarah Sherman.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2026
Since nobody was banished, host Alan Cumming then forced the contestants back to the Roundtable the very next morning, and this time the table followed Victor’s lead and banished Tomica by a 10-2 vote.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of contestant

Noun

But now, after El-Sayed’s defeat of GOP rival Mike Rogers was confirmed early Wednesday, there is a pervasive sense that a broader victory is at hand.

— Jacqueline GaNun, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
As Democrats blew away their Republican rivals in an unprecedented midterm sweep Tuesday, the Make America Health Again movement also got bowled over, raising questions about the fate of the motley movement.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of rival

Noun

Democrat Wes Moore won reelection as Maryland's governor after defeating Republican challenger Dan Cox, CBS News projected Tuesday.

— CBS Baltimore, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna defeated challenger and former Sheriff Alex Villanueva by a wide margin in his bid for reelection Tuesday, with the Associated Press calling the race Tuesday night for the incumbent.

— Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026