as in competitors
one who strives for the same thing as another
three contestants will compete on live TV for the cash prize
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Recent Examples of contestants
It could be argued that Stephenie LaGrossa endured more on her first season of Survivor than any other of the more than 750 contestants to get up off the couch.
—
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Kayley finished first among the pool of middle and high school contestants in Peters’ 50th Congressional District, which includes La Jolla.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
All of the contestants are first-time dunk contest participants.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
If not, this gallery of the Puppy Bowl contestants will help.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 6 Feb. 2026
After eight episodes, six banishments (both failed and successful), and one controversial blue sweater, Colton Underwood was officially murdered on The Traitors, thus ending the time of one of Season 4’s most controversial contestants.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 6 Feb. 2026
Five contestants performed on the latest episode, including the final wildcard, Pangolin.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Feb. 2026
The menu goes beyond basic survival food and leans into the show's reward challenges, giving fans a literal taste of what contestants eat in Fiji.
—Tania Francois, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
Spillman’s victory was no surprise to the other contestants, according to Connie Crawford, the Vassar freshman who was one of the five finalists.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Kayley finished first among the pool of middle and high school contestants in Peters’ 50th Congressional District, which includes La Jolla.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
All of the contestants are first-time dunk contest participants.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
If not, this gallery of the Puppy Bowl contestants will help.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 6 Feb. 2026
After eight episodes, six banishments (both failed and successful), and one controversial blue sweater, Colton Underwood was officially murdered on The Traitors, thus ending the time of one of Season 4’s most controversial contestants.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 6 Feb. 2026
Five contestants performed on the latest episode, including the final wildcard, Pangolin.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Feb. 2026
The menu goes beyond basic survival food and leans into the show's reward challenges, giving fans a literal taste of what contestants eat in Fiji.
—Tania Francois, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
Spillman’s victory was no surprise to the other contestants, according to Connie Crawford, the Vassar freshman who was one of the five finalists.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contestants
Noun
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Others argue that too-stringent export controls merely hand the market over to Chinese competitors.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Milan-Cortina is not far off with women making up 47% of the competitors slated to attend.—
Dana ONeil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Chock and Bates edged out French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron by less than two points in an early showdown of individual gold medal contenders.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Are the Rangers still contenders?—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contestants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contestants. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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