contestant

noun

kən-ˈte-stənt How to pronounce contestant (audio)
Definition of contestantnext
as in competitor
one who strives for the same thing as another three contestants will compete on live TV for the cash prize

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 contestant However, Ashley added that many of the contestants came up to her following the incident. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026 Fellow Challenge contestant and Big Brother player Paulie Calafiore, who appeared in Duckworth’s August post, penned a tribute on Instagram, resharing photos from the fan event. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026 Feeney said to me in an email that Best in Class shows contestants second-guessing concepts, scrapping ideas and adjusting their approach before reaching the final product. — Jacqueline Jevtich, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Coleman, no relation to the author, was a contestant on season 25 of The Voice. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contestant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contestant
  1. competitor
  2. contender
  3. challenger
  4. rival
Noun
  • Last year, Chinese firms accounted for the vast majority of global android deliveries, far outpacing American competitors like Tesla, Figure AI and Boston Dynamics.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The pharmaceutical giant has sought out new avenues of success with cancer-treatment drugs and to catch up with its competitors, which have dominated the market for weight-loss medications.
    — Sam Jacobs, Time, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of competitor
Noun
  • The Wildcats have fallen from annual championship contenders to regular first-round playoff exits.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The trio gives Fort Worth-area football fans what should be a trio of contenders and a ton of high-stakes playoff matchups within a reasonable distance.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of contender
Noun
  • All 16 Florida House incumbents facing primary challengers survived Tuesday, as most state legislative races now turn toward the November general election, where Democrats have fielded challengers in nearly every contest.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The two other statewide candidates drawing state matching dollars — Attorney General James Uthmeier and his Democratic challenger Jose Javier Rodriguez — will bypass the primary.
    — Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of challenger
Noun
  • Apple Music plans to tell you when a song is AI-generated by adding a new label next to tracks, using a different disclosure method than its biggest streaming rival, Spotify.
    — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, the two rivals separately offered a preview of their pitches to win over both urban Kansas City and rural Pettis County.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rival

Browse Nearby Words

contestable
contestant
contestants
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contestant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contestant. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on contestant

Nglish: Translation of contestant for Spanish Speakers

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