as in finalist
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Recent Examples of semifinalist
The cases at Grapevine, Poolville and Jacksboro ended seasons for a defending state champion, a district champion and a regional semifinalist.
—
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Liar’s Dice, her first novel, was a winner of the 2024 Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair and a semifinalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
DiVISION 4 In the first finals appearance for both programs, Oak Park swept the last four courts to claim the inaugural Division 4 crown against Campbell Hall, a Division 3 semifinalist last season.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
The latter is especially notable because the WEC’s pastry chef, Yohann Le Bescond, was a semifinalist in the 2025 James Beard Awards.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Fagnano and Pavia were two of the most productive quarterbacks in the country last season, with the 25-year-old Fagnano racking up the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the country (28 to 1) and being named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top QB.
—Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Makfam Husband-and-wife team Kenneth Wan (a James Beard Award semifinalist) and Doris Yuen are the brains behind Makfam.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
Chef Sam Diminich, a James Beard Award semifinalist, opened Grey’s Diner & Community Kitchen on April 27 in the space that once housed Mattie’s Diner.
—Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
McCoy left Oregon State after his freshman season and was a plug-and-play starter at Tennessee, blossoming into a lockdown cornerback specializing in man coverage who earned All-American honors and was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award as a sophomore in 2024.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Liar’s Dice, her first novel, was a winner of the 2024 Irish Writers Centre’s Novel Fair and a semifinalist for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
DiVISION 4 In the first finals appearance for both programs, Oak Park swept the last four courts to claim the inaugural Division 4 crown against Campbell Hall, a Division 3 semifinalist last season.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
The latter is especially notable because the WEC’s pastry chef, Yohann Le Bescond, was a semifinalist in the 2025 James Beard Awards.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Fagnano and Pavia were two of the most productive quarterbacks in the country last season, with the 25-year-old Fagnano racking up the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the country (28 to 1) and being named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top QB.
—Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Makfam Husband-and-wife team Kenneth Wan (a James Beard Award semifinalist) and Doris Yuen are the brains behind Makfam.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
Chef Sam Diminich, a James Beard Award semifinalist, opened Grey’s Diner & Community Kitchen on April 27 in the space that once housed Mattie’s Diner.
—Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
McCoy left Oregon State after his freshman season and was a plug-and-play starter at Tennessee, blossoming into a lockdown cornerback specializing in man coverage who earned All-American honors and was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award as a sophomore in 2024.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for semifinalist
finalist
Noun
-
The back of Cy Young Award finalist Hunter Brown’s jersey is visible at the bottom.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
His debut novel, Falling Hour (Coach House Books, 2023), was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Semifinalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/semifinalist. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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