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 onetime wannabe Broadway producer brought his particular style of late 20th century over-the-top macho taste to political events, elevating professional wrestling to the Republican National Convention and inviting the 1980s icons Sylvester Stallone and Mike Tyson to the White House.
—
Max Tani, semafor.com, 24 Nov. 2025
The gonzo comedy is set in the days before Lincoln’s assassination and imagines the former first lady as a alcoholic wannabe cabaret star.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Best Toy from a Film Franchise Dragon rider wannabees can put their dreams into motion by bonding and engaging with the ever-playful Toothless.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Just about everyone gets a little pat on the head from ESPN for a big home weekend, but cutesy wannabes don’t get featured on the road.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Max Tani, semafor.com, 24 Nov. 2025
The gonzo comedy is set in the days before Lincoln’s assassination and imagines the former first lady as a alcoholic wannabe cabaret star.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Best Toy from a Film Franchise Dragon rider wannabees can put their dreams into motion by bonding and engaging with the ever-playful Toothless.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Just about everyone gets a little pat on the head from ESPN for a big home weekend, but cutesy wannabes don’t get featured on the road.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wannabe
Noun
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Jennifer Aniston's social media followers were treated to some banter between the Friends alum and her costar Courteney Cox — not as Rachel and Monica, but themselves.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
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The chef has 115 million social followers and has established himself over two decades with prime time shows like Kitchen Nightmares and MasterChef more recently being accompanied by a vibrant social media profile.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The success spurred other companies to open their models and shifted perceptions of China’s AI landscape from imitator to innovator.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
31 Dec. 2025
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Despite many aspirants and imitators, there really hasn’t been anything like it since.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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This leads to more contemporary echoes in her film, where Amanda doesn’t simply submit to power structures.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
15 Jan. 2026
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Researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Kyoto University, and partner institutions published a high-resolution 3D reconstruction of the submerged settlement using multibeam echo-sounder surveys combined with historical cadastral maps.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wannabe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabe. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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