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 search for surefire Oscar contenders at CinemaCon continues, and joining my list after the Universal presentation on Wednesday are The Odyssey, Disclosure Day, and — wait for it — Minions & Monsters.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Singapore is a perennial contender at the happiest end of the HAMI, and 2025 is no exception.
—Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
The 17 contenders fit the mold of reflecting narrow interests.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
The crazy part of the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy race this year is just how many contenders have already been nominated.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Singapore is a perennial contender at the happiest end of the HAMI, and 2025 is no exception.
—Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
The 17 contenders fit the mold of reflecting narrow interests.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
The crazy part of the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy race this year is just how many contenders have already been nominated.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
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During the financial crisis in spring 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama dismissed his rivals' calls for a federal gas tax suspension.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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In a memo sent to allies Saturday, the Porter campaign said an internal poll showed that 46% of Swalwell voters had listed her as their second choice, compared to just 14% for fellow Democratic candidate Tom Steyer.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The media outlet also reported that McDonald's plans to undercut competitors such as Starbucks and Dutch Bros on price, citing internal documents related to the launch.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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OpenAI alleges that Musk, who runs rival xAI, is suing to slow down a competitor.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While Survivor has plenty of surprising rules for contestants, socks are a small creature comfort that’s allowed.—
Brittany Anas,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
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The nine contestants competing for a chance to win season 29 of The Voice include Team Legend's Willis, Millevoi and West; Team Adam's Alexia Jayy, Jared Shoemaker and Jeremy Keith; and Team Kelly's JW Griffin, Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Anthropic has sought to distinguish its brand from OpenAI and other rivals by publicly emphasizing AI safety, highlighting its guardrails for keeping the technology in line.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Jesse Peno paced things offensively, sniping six goals while dishing out a pair of assists as Nauset coasted to a 20-8 romp of Cape and Islands League rival Sandwich.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Feldstein Soto’s challenger in the city attorney’s race, John McKinney, said the public deserves immediate answers.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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In Europe, investors will be looking ahead to the general election in Hungary taking place on Sunday, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is on course to lose to the main challenger party, Fidesz, in what could be the biggest power shift in 16 years.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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