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
So far, Boeing and Northrop Grumman have been seen as the main contenders for the program.
—
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Gu is the rare athlete to compete in all three disciplines and is a medal contender in each one.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Slotkin, like Kelly, has been mentioned among Democrats who could emerge as presidential contenders in 2028.
—CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
The aura surrounding Liu feels dramatically different heading into Italy, where she is considered a serious medal contender as reigning world and Grand Prix Finale champion.
—Elliott Almond, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Gu is the rare athlete to compete in all three disciplines and is a medal contender in each one.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Slotkin, like Kelly, has been mentioned among Democrats who could emerge as presidential contenders in 2028.
—CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
The aura surrounding Liu feels dramatically different heading into Italy, where she is considered a serious medal contender as reigning world and Grand Prix Finale champion.
—Elliott Almond, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
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Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker recommended that the council hear from each candidate before making an appointment.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Republican and Democratic candidates often explain the state of the economy differently.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The 2024 Games in Paris were hailed for their gender parity, the first Games with a 50/50 split among men and women competitors.—
Dana ONeil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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The Post began to bleed talent while its competitors siphoned off its subscribers, at times directly appealing to Post readers.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Then Jennings turned to the contestant to Betts’ right, Isaac Hirsch — who was wrong and did indeed bet everything, sending him to zero.—
Claire McNear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
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For the Quick Draw Contest, contestants must sketch their artwork in 50 minutes.—
Claire Partain,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The male cockroaches are territorial, defending females in their area and competing against encroaching rivals.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
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Officials say the goal is to stabilize Venezuela’s economy, reduce migration pressures and counter the influence of geopolitical rivals in Latin America.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The first to turn in a petition was Councilmember Traci Park, who is facing two challengers while running for reelection in a coastal district.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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The second are investment-grade software firms like Salesforce and Adobe that have robust balance sheets and can implement AI to fend off challengers.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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