1
as in candidates
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
a strong contender for the mayoral position
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Other contests to watch involve potential conference contenders with Virginia and Louisville meeting for the chance to reach five wins and remain unbeaten in the ACC.
—
Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Tennessee and Miami had similar turnover before finding Josh Heupel (who led the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff) and Cristobal (whose Hurricanes are contenders this fall).
—Matt Baker, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
But there are some strong contenders from superstar artists who haven’t always been Academy pets in recent years.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Entering 2025, both Kansas City and Baltimore were viewed as AFC contenders, but a trying early slate has them both at 1-2.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
Despite the roster changes this offseason, Tatum believes the Celtics remain contenders.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
The best metro Phoenix spots for new visitors poll is now open, with 10 contenders on the ballot.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
The New York Knicks are looking to evolve from fringe contenders to the real deal in 2025-26.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Possible contenders are exploring taking Johnson on, and the list grows by the day.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Tennessee and Miami had similar turnover before finding Josh Heupel (who led the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff) and Cristobal (whose Hurricanes are contenders this fall).
—Matt Baker, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
But there are some strong contenders from superstar artists who haven’t always been Academy pets in recent years.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Entering 2025, both Kansas City and Baltimore were viewed as AFC contenders, but a trying early slate has them both at 1-2.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
Despite the roster changes this offseason, Tatum believes the Celtics remain contenders.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
The best metro Phoenix spots for new visitors poll is now open, with 10 contenders on the ballot.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
The New York Knicks are looking to evolve from fringe contenders to the real deal in 2025-26.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Possible contenders are exploring taking Johnson on, and the list grows by the day.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contenders
Noun
-
Those were all topics discussed at a forum for Republican candidates running to represent Kentucky's 6th Congressional District.—
Hannah Pinski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In one of the videos, candidates are seen on the catwalk when the earthquake hits.—
Rajeev Tyagi,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Following this mass extinction, the oceans were largely empty of competitors but rich in food.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Anthropic appears to be pushing further ahead of its competitors in coding assistance and autonomous task completion, positioning its models toward corporate and workplace use.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As always, Variety spoke with creator and Kinetic Content founder and CEO Chris Coelen about the first six episodes, including that split, the multiple contestants who ghosted, and the serious conversations that happened in the pods.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Age is experience at Miss Universe In 2023 the Miss Universe pageant changed its rules to broaden the range of contestants, allowing new queens to be mothers and removing strict age limits.—
Sarah Moreno,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Issues around social media, respect between political rivals and free speech have been highlighted by the assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder and CEO Charlie Kirk on September 10.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Because both the Lions and Packers are playoff contenders and longtime divisional rivals with fan bases that extend beyond their own cities, this year’s Thanksgiving match-up holds ample promise.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That could give a candidate with a strong base of support a better chance of beating challengers.—
Mary Ramsey
October 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Two-time incumbent David Miller defended his seat on the CalPERS Board of Administration from two challengers, Santa Monica fire Captain Dominick Bei and former Pasadena city manager Steve Mermell, according to CalPERS election results released Thursday.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contenders. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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