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
Here’s a rundown of the contenders.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Typically, the Actors Awards, nee SAG Awards, can be counted on to elevate a new crop of Emmy contenders.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
In some ways, Rogers’ form is emblematic of Villa’s broader transformation into title contenders.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Momentum hardens, vulnerabilities are exposed and the gap between contenders and pretenders is out in the open.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Typically, the Actors Awards, nee SAG Awards, can be counted on to elevate a new crop of Emmy contenders.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
In some ways, Rogers’ form is emblematic of Villa’s broader transformation into title contenders.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Momentum hardens, vulnerabilities are exposed and the gap between contenders and pretenders is out in the open.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
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Salyer has been perhaps the best candidate at left tackle, having been a starter earlier in his career.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The closest candidate is Bucs receiver Emeka Egbuka with 938 and tight end Tyler Warren with 817.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
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 10 Jan. 2026.
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