variants
also wannabee
as in follower
a person who adopts the appearance or behavior of another especially in an obvious way
an entrepreneur who seems to have made his fortune mainly by giving how-to-get-rich lectures to entrepreneurial wannabes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wannabe
The wildly energetic feature tells the real-life story of Scottish wannabe rappers Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd.
—
Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
The capital of Texas, Austin is a bustling metropolis that attracts everyone from tech giants to wannabe Willie Nelsons.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025
The precious journalists could strive for their Pulitzers, and the wannabe Ari Golds could have their Hollywood deals.
—Eric Benson, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
This seemingly harmless zombie who was Pugsley’s wannabe pet, has his own agenda.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
The capital of Texas, Austin is a bustling metropolis that attracts everyone from tech giants to wannabe Willie Nelsons.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025
The precious journalists could strive for their Pulitzers, and the wannabe Ari Golds could have their Hollywood deals.
—Eric Benson, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025
This seemingly harmless zombie who was Pugsley’s wannabe pet, has his own agenda.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wannabe
Noun
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In July 2024, Allen launched her OnlyFans platform with an Instagram Stories post, giving followers a sneak peek of what to expect from her subscription.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Micro Over Macro The algorithm trained teams to chase macro reach (virality, follower counts, massive impressions), but in the post-algorithm era, that scale no longer converts.—
Sam Saideman,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The next two years saw the opening of imitators such as Pace, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
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The oud that launched a thousand imitators, and still outclasses them all.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This viral parrot cake clip is filled with comments from users saying that the footage is AI-generated.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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The parrot responded by barking, a real yip like a small dog.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wannabe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabe. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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