1
as in candidates
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 competitors
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 contenders
Instead, this team bullied one of the top NFC playoff contenders from start to finish.
—
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Performers like Olivia Dean and PinkPantheress have pretty much provided the soundtrack for TikTok this past year, and are being viewed as strong contenders in that category, along with Ravyn Lenae and Megan Moroney.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Pundits noted that his championing of the ballot measure, which initially looked like a risky move, would position him atop the field of potential presidential contenders.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Key artisans working on 2025’s leading awards contenders spoke about their creative journeys on their projects and how collaboration influenced their work on set.
—Leia Mendoza, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Alex, a commuter scientist, began scouring Airbnb and VRBO for properties that could host everyone, while Maliya narrowed down the top contenders.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
The Cyclones started the year 5-0 and looked like Big 12 contenders, but injuries and a tough slate have caused Iowa State to go on four-game losing streak, including a head-scratching loss against Colorado.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2025
Mahomes and the Chiefs take their show on the road Sunday at Buffalo in a matchup of perennial AFC contenders.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
Members could vote for up to five candidates in each category, and the top contenders became nominees.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Performers like Olivia Dean and PinkPantheress have pretty much provided the soundtrack for TikTok this past year, and are being viewed as strong contenders in that category, along with Ravyn Lenae and Megan Moroney.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Pundits noted that his championing of the ballot measure, which initially looked like a risky move, would position him atop the field of potential presidential contenders.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Key artisans working on 2025’s leading awards contenders spoke about their creative journeys on their projects and how collaboration influenced their work on set.
—Leia Mendoza, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Alex, a commuter scientist, began scouring Airbnb and VRBO for properties that could host everyone, while Maliya narrowed down the top contenders.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
The Cyclones started the year 5-0 and looked like Big 12 contenders, but injuries and a tough slate have caused Iowa State to go on four-game losing streak, including a head-scratching loss against Colorado.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2025
Mahomes and the Chiefs take their show on the road Sunday at Buffalo in a matchup of perennial AFC contenders.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
Members could vote for up to five candidates in each category, and the top contenders became nominees.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contenders
Noun
-
But now some of Wall Street’s billionaires—even ones who backed candidates running against Mamdani—are offering their help in light of his win.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Both candidates had coattails, pulling along fellow Democrats as Republican turnout sagged.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Axel Springer laid off 20% of its staff at Business Insider, and has instituted strict spending limits at Politico that have left employees grumbling about the outlet’s inability to match some of the salaries of its competitors.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
There will be some minor differences between ProphetX and prediction market competitors.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Amazingly, Exposure contestants go through hours of practice and performance each day without ever seeming to tire, and along with the competitive spirit, there’s a real sense of community, with skaters constantly encouraging, applauding, and appreciating each other.—
Lonnie Burstein Hewitt,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
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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Sea’s operating expenses also jumped by 28%, as its e-commerce arm Shopee tries to strengthen its competitive edge of rivals like Alibaba’s Lazada and ByteDance’s TikTok Shop.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
12 Nov. 2025
-
American pasta makers regularly complain that their Italian rivals are underpricing their goods.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That pressure comes from sitting Republican state lawmakers, led by House Minority Leader Bradley Jones and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, as well as GOP challengers for Healey’s job.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Contenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contenders. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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