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
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 contenders
Two great offenses, two really strong defenses, past two league MVPs in Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, and two top-tier Super Bowl contenders in a rematch of last year’s divsional playoff game won by the Bills, 27-25, in snowy Buffalo.
—
Greg Cote
september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Philly is likely to put together another terrific year but there are an ample number of contenders for their championship.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The Toronto Blue Jays have established themselves as contenders this season, and Bo Bichette's bounce-back campaign is a key reason why.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
That’s left Venice as the de facto launching pad for major Oscar contenders from Netflix, an enviable position given that the streamer has continued to shell out big bucks to A-list auteurs in its quest to finally land a best picture statuette.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
The 2025 winners, Pinhook Vertical Series 9-Year Rye and Frank August Small Batch Bourbon, are profiled below, offering a deeper look at their production, including my personal tasting notes, the IWSC’s commentary, and what sets them apart in a crowded field of contenders.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Other contenders included the Pioneers, Steers, Stars, Mokans, Tornados, Mavericks, Bulls, Plainsmen, Wranglers, Mohawks, Hunters and Scouts.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
Possible contenders are exploring taking Johnson on, and the list grows by the day.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
For now, contemplating the improbable (a Canadian team winning the Stanley Cup) boasts three contenders.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Greg Cote
september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Philly is likely to put together another terrific year but there are an ample number of contenders for their championship.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The Toronto Blue Jays have established themselves as contenders this season, and Bo Bichette's bounce-back campaign is a key reason why.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
That’s left Venice as the de facto launching pad for major Oscar contenders from Netflix, an enviable position given that the streamer has continued to shell out big bucks to A-list auteurs in its quest to finally land a best picture statuette.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
The 2025 winners, Pinhook Vertical Series 9-Year Rye and Frank August Small Batch Bourbon, are profiled below, offering a deeper look at their production, including my personal tasting notes, the IWSC’s commentary, and what sets them apart in a crowded field of contenders.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Other contenders included the Pioneers, Steers, Stars, Mokans, Tornados, Mavericks, Bulls, Plainsmen, Wranglers, Mohawks, Hunters and Scouts.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
Possible contenders are exploring taking Johnson on, and the list grows by the day.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
For now, contemplating the improbable (a Canadian team winning the Stanley Cup) boasts three contenders.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contenders
Noun
-
Suspicious activity could lead to the disqualification of candidates and a permanent suspension of the Athlete of the Week poll.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Her comments come as Democrats face a leadership crossroads in Washington, with long-serving figures under scrutiny and younger candidates pushing for change.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In the case of merchant AI chips, that's Nvidia thanks in large part to a massive software ecosystem that serves as a competitive moat against other competitors like AMD.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The company was losing bids because their competitors weren’t including that low-value, unwanted work in their quotes.—
Adam Coffey,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Rachel Reilly is a positive for this summer mainstay (or any reality competition in need of outspoken and controversial contestants).—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
In 2024, the competition was delayed a week after one of the contestants was fatally mauled by a rival bear with the attack seen on the live webcams.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Over the last three years both Teck and Anglo have been takeover targets for their mining rivals, Australia’s BHP and Swiss-based Glencore.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The product launches demonstrate how Europe’s legacy manufacturers are taking the fight to their Chinese rivals, in a bid to both retain market share in the European Union and offset declining sales in China, the world’s largest car market.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Sand is considered the front-runner in a Democratic primary, which is likely to consist of additional challengers with an incumbent like Reynolds out of the picture.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Brown faces several primary challengers this year.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contenders. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share