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
As the Spurs push to win it all, showing the supporting cast is still a playoff-level team is a good sign for the Spurs’ status as true title contenders.
—
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, the race’s overall front-runner, dismissed the Democratic contenders seeking Newsom’s seal of approval as misguided and a waste of time.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026
The fastpitch softball playoffs begin Monday with five Orlando area teams on the list of top contenders for state championships.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The decline in contenders will also likely mean fewer nominations, as the TV Academy bases the number of nominees in a category on how many programs or individuals are submitted.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
The last two contenders were remarkably unremarkable.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
But what really sets this venerable hotel apart is its distinct sense of place—a tough act to follow for newer contenders in the luxury arena.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Dumont’s films have also been regularly been selected for Official Selection with Humanity and Flanders winning the Grand Jury Prize in 1999 and 2006 respectively, and other Palme d’Or contenders including Slack Bay and France.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
His recent Palme d’Or contenders include the comedies Slack Bay (2016) and France (2021).
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, the race’s overall front-runner, dismissed the Democratic contenders seeking Newsom’s seal of approval as misguided and a waste of time.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026
The fastpitch softball playoffs begin Monday with five Orlando area teams on the list of top contenders for state championships.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The decline in contenders will also likely mean fewer nominations, as the TV Academy bases the number of nominees in a category on how many programs or individuals are submitted.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
The last two contenders were remarkably unremarkable.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
But what really sets this venerable hotel apart is its distinct sense of place—a tough act to follow for newer contenders in the luxury arena.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Dumont’s films have also been regularly been selected for Official Selection with Humanity and Flanders winning the Grand Jury Prize in 1999 and 2006 respectively, and other Palme d’Or contenders including Slack Bay and France.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
His recent Palme d’Or contenders include the comedies Slack Bay (2016) and France (2021).
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contenders
Noun
-
Already the jobs issue in Hollywood has become a contentious part of the race for governor in California, with several candidates pledging to eliminate the $750 million cap put in place by Newsom, which already was more than double what the state was previously capped at.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In their quest to regain control of Congress, Democratic candidates are outpacing Republicans in midterm fundraising for key House and Senate races.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Reigns tossed Punk from the announce table onto the ground as the referee begged for both competitors to get back into the ring.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In 2025 many mechanical competitors overheated and fell.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But contestants won’t be doing any relaxing.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Reina Friedman Watts, who appears in the documentary as one of the former producers on The Jerry Springer Show, admits that background checks were not performed on contestants.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But critics note Angola still has deep problems with corruption and have questioned if Lourenco’s actions were more aimed at political rivals so as to consolidate his power.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
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This year's playoff matchup between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will be the eighth time in history that the cross-state rivals meet in the postseason.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Johnson’s Spurs upped their win total by 28 games and are viewed as the top Western Conference challengers to defending champion Oklahoma City.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Season 42 continues on Friday with Jamie Ding returning as champion to face two new challengers.—
USA TODAY Staff,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contenders. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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