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
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Recent Examples of contender
The Royals were regular contenders, but didn’t win a championship, relocating to Kansas City and becoming the Kings in 1972, before moving to Sacramento in 1985.
—
Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
However, if Topuria needs more time to recover and prepare for the rematch, top contender Arman Tsarukyan will almost certainly be the next man up.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Next, your votes whittled the field of contenders to the Top 10 picks, then down to the Top 5 and Top 2.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
His team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, is also expected to be championship contenders for years to come because of its stockpile of young talent and yet more draft picks.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
However, if Topuria needs more time to recover and prepare for the rematch, top contender Arman Tsarukyan will almost certainly be the next man up.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Next, your votes whittled the field of contenders to the Top 10 picks, then down to the Top 5 and Top 2.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
His team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, is also expected to be championship contenders for years to come because of its stockpile of young talent and yet more draft picks.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
-
None of the Senate candidates surpassed the 50% threshold required to win, and Ossoff and Warnock headed to a January 2021 runoff against their Republican opponents.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Burnham was promptly selected as Labour’s candidate, making Thursday’s by-election perhaps the most consequential in British history.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Many competitors on Wall Street were thus gleeful when Citadel’s main fund fell by fifty-five per cent during the 2008 global financial crisis.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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That is certainly a significant ask in a world where a new competitor is a few lines of code away.—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The world first fell in love with her as a contestant in the RuPaul’s Drag Race multiverse, where her razor-sharp charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent turned her into one of the franchise’s most beloved queens.—
Todd Plummer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
The long-running series, hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri, pits four contestants against each other in a challenge that combines grocery shopping and high-stakes cooking.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
But Republican rival Steve Hilton slammed the group for political opportunism.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
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The idea is that even rivals can find common ground over a beverage.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Kaplan appeared to have secured the majority necessary to win the election outright, preventing a November runoff against challenger Jenn Chawla, who held 42% of the vote.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
There were no challengers running against him.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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