CONTENDER Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

contender

noun

kən-ˈten-dər

Definition of contender

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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of contender Pop singer-songwriters Audrey Hobert and Malcolm Todd are both looking like strong contenders for nominations — which, on its face, is not exactly earth-shaking. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 Samantha Holloway, a leading contender for the team, owns the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and a majority stake in Climate Pledge Arena; the facility was redeveloped with basketball in mind as the Seattle Storm play there. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Now, Eastern Hills is a contender, and arguably a favorite, to run the table and win the District 5-4A Division I championship. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026 However, as Wegmans enters the market, the new contender is generating the most excitement. — Chase Jordan october 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contender

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender

Noun

Kristin Pawlik and Wendy Howerton garnered the most votes among the three candidates in the March nonpartisan judicial race, but neither got more than the 50% required to win outright.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
But most Senate Democrats think Colom, a young father, is a stronger candidate in a tough environment for Republicans.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of candidate

Noun

If Skydance increases spending on content, that could push its competitors to also invest more, Laurent Yoon, senior analyst at the research and brokerage firm Bernstein, told me.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Headquartered just outside Paris, the 128-year-old French giant is using this platform to prove that traditional European brands can out-innovate the incoming tide of Asian competitors.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of competitor

Noun

While traditional family recipes and regional specialities are at the heart of the competition, contestants are pushed outside their comfort zones through challenges inspired by fine dining, street food and international cuisines.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
On the other side of that, there can be some negative talk too, some frustrated fans who think other contestants should still be there.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of contestant

Noun

As with other aspects of the company, Lauder is continually forging new ways of working to increase speed-to-market and give it a competitive edge over rivals.

— Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Mayor Johnson has attracted criticism from his 2027 rivals for not distancing himself from Dominguez.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of rival

Noun

Bound for Glory pay-per-view to answer Moose’s open challenger.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
The government’s refusal to make public key agreements related to the refinery has been criticized by opposition leaders, including one of Ruto’s main challengers, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

— Martin K.N Siele, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026