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
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Recent Examples of contender
But another unique aspect of BAFTAs are its British-specific categories like Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, which widen the aperture of what films BAFTA voters consider as awards contenders.
—
Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
Or, a battle of state title contenders in the same division.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
But first, meet the contenders.
—Eddie Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Best actor contenders are Claes Bang for L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche, Bastien Bouillon for Partir un jour, Laurent Lafitte for La Femme la plus riche du monde, Pio Marmaï for L’Attachement, and Benjamin Voisin for L’Étranger.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
Or, a battle of state title contenders in the same division.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
But first, meet the contenders.
—Eddie Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Best actor contenders are Claes Bang for L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche, Bastien Bouillon for Partir un jour, Laurent Lafitte for La Femme la plus riche du monde, Pio Marmaï for L’Attachement, and Benjamin Voisin for L’Étranger.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
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Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's list of candidates won the largest share of seats in November's parliamentary elections.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Even if Maliki is ultimately dropped, Iran will simply nominate another candidate who is secretly acceptable to Washington.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Chinese competitors like DeepSeek have demonstrated that technical capabilities can be matched quickly.—
Steven Wolfe Pereira,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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What denied her entry to the Milan-Cortina Olympics was her final qualification event in the North American Cup earlier this month at Lake Placid, where several Canadian competitors were withdrawn at the last minute.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His wife, Dancing With the Stars contestant Hilaria Baldwin, posted a TikTok of Baldwin and O’Hara on the set of the 1988 film.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
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The menu goes beyond basic survival food and leans into the show's reward challenges, giving fans a literal taste of what contestants eat in Fiji.—
Tania Francois,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Leo's primary rival is SpaceX's Starlink, which has more than 9,000 satellites in orbit and roughly 9 million customers.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
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Bombardier and Gulfstream are head-to-head rivals, with the Global series battling for market share against Gulfstream’s latest models.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Another challenger, OneWeb, is operated by France's Eutelsat and has a constellation of more than 600 satellites.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
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Starbucks has other challengers, like the fast-growing drive-thru chains 7 Brew, Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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