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
If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote on Sunday, May 31, the two leading contenders will face each other again in a runoff on June 21.
—
Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
The historical drama was among the festival’s standout titles this year, eliciting plenty of critical praise and being tipped as an awards season contender.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 May 2026
Meanwhile, two Democrats who had been expected to be contenders, Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, never clicked.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Enter Singleton, a 32-year-old linebacker mature enough to captain a Super Bowl contender and disarming enough to, well, crack jokes about his nads.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
The historical drama was among the festival’s standout titles this year, eliciting plenty of critical praise and being tipped as an awards season contender.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 May 2026
Meanwhile, two Democrats who had been expected to be contenders, Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, never clicked.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Enter Singleton, a 32-year-old linebacker mature enough to captain a Super Bowl contender and disarming enough to, well, crack jokes about his nads.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
-
On the night of the primary election, holding hands with Montag, the mayoral candidate posed in glossy paparazzi-style photos.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
But for a Cy Young candidate who, as part of a six-man rotation, won’t pitch in as many games as his competition, efficiency matters.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Aren’t professional athletes supposed to be the ultimate competitors?—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
Serena Williams will return to professional tennis this summer as a doubles competitor the HSBC Championships.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Previously, the show has been hosted by former Love Island contestant Maura Higgins, who rose to fame as a finalist in the fifth series of the ITV2 reality series in 2019.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
-
During the latest installment of the competition, Hollywood playfully called out Leith for a notably harsh critique of one of the contestant's culinary confections.—
Stacy Lambe,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
These two great rivals never raced each other again.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
In the span of a week, the Golden State Valkyries and Indiana Fever have seemingly become rivals.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
DeGette has defeated primary challengers before, but this time her opponents have lined up long endorsement rosters.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Regardless of what Demuth decides, Qualls likely will face a primary challenger in August.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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