1
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
a strong contender for the mayoral position
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Alex, a commuter scientist, began scouring Airbnb and VRBO for properties that could host everyone, while Maliya narrowed down the top contenders.
—
Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
The Cyclones started the year 5-0 and looked like Big 12 contenders, but injuries and a tough slate have caused Iowa State to go on four-game losing streak, including a head-scratching loss against Colorado.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2025
Santa Margarita also signaled its status as an CIF-SS Open Division contender.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
In 2020, Cotton defeated Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. in the general election, a race that didn't feature a Democratic contender.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
The Cyclones started the year 5-0 and looked like Big 12 contenders, but injuries and a tough slate have caused Iowa State to go on four-game losing streak, including a head-scratching loss against Colorado.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2025
Santa Margarita also signaled its status as an CIF-SS Open Division contender.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
In 2020, Cotton defeated Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. in the general election, a race that didn't feature a Democratic contender.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
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The movement helped propel Mohamed Muizzu, an opposition candidate from the anti-Indian People’s National Congress, to a surprise victory in the 2023 presidential election.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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Brian Daboll, who had been viewed as a potential hot seat candidate, was removed from his job as head coach.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Paramount has been bidding since October for WBD, a transaction that would elevate David Ellison’s nascent media empire into a Hollywood force that could not be easily ignored by tech competitors and Wall Street.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
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Much like Blue Origin’s chief competitor, SpaceX — which has long been a dominant force in the commercial launch business — Blue Origin rockets are designed to be partially reused in order to drive down costs.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Nawat Itsaragrisil, president of Miss Grand International (MGI), was seen scolding Fatima Bosch, a 25-year-old contestant from Mexico, ahead of the 74th Miss Universe competition being held in Bangkok later this month.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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The pageant director accused Bosch of skipping promotional activities, including a photoshoot that all contestants were expected to share on social media.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Outside of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, who both stand alone as the only squads in their division with winning records, every other divisional leader holds only a slim edge over rivals in hot pursuit.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Recently, archaeologists found a massive stone basin in Italy dating back more than 2,000 years — remnants of a once-powerful rival of Rome.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The experience served as an extreme way to learn what Everest requires of its challengers.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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In Orange and Osceola Counties, an area with a large population of Puerto Rican voters, DeSantis’ Democratic challenger Charlie Crist still edged out a win.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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