as in officeholder
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as in compulsory
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law
it is incumbent upon you to attend every staff meeting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incumbent
Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Covo, the incumbent, had placed first in the general election but failed to secure more than 50% of the vote, landing her in a runoff with second-place finisher Damian Pardo.
—Tess Riski
march 6, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026
Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incumbent
Noun
Franklin’s District 6 aldermanic seat is contested in the April 7 election, with incumbent Jason Craig facing off against Danelle Kenney.
—Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Covo, the incumbent, had placed first in the general election but failed to secure more than 50% of the vote, landing her in a runoff with second-place finisher Damian Pardo.
—Tess Riski
march 6, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Running for the Republican nomination at state convention is incumbent Secretary of State Diego Morales, Knox County Clerk David Shelton, and former gubernatorial candidate Jamie Reitenour; for the Democratic nomination, Bayh is competing against Bargersville business owner Blythe Potter.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026
Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incumbent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incumbent
Noun
-
Moore, the undersheriff since 2020, is seeking the countywide seat as the current officeholder, James Mendrick, sets his sights on the governor’s office.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Democratic officeholders, civil rights leaders and others have descended on the southern city to pay homage to the pivotal moment of the Civil Rights Movement and to issue calls to action.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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He’s also been convicted of improper disposal of a human body, compulsory insurance violations, distributing or dispensing Class B drugs, and possession with intent to distribute Class B drugs.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Bella Paguyo returns after winning last year’s compulsory title; she’ll be joined by a quartet of stellar freshmen.—
Breven Honda,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The required restitution is a total of $258,563, with $233,164 of that to Ulta Beauty and the rest to the city of Royal Oak.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
One quote the Reios received for the required Burial Site Investigation came to $319,000, according to the CBC.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Iran’s first female athlete to win an Olympic medal, Kimia Alizadeh, a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games in taekwondo, criticized wearing the mandatory hijab headscarf.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Some of the mandatory junk fees could total $1,700 a year per renter, alleged the suit, and prospective tenants also paid non-refundable reservation and application fees ranging from $55 up to $500.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Judge Paul Friedman appeared skeptical of government claims that the policy is necessary for national security.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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The skill became especially necessary after Minnesota renovated its roster just before training camp, replacing Towns in the starting lineup with Julius Randle.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incumbent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incumbent. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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