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
Van Der Beek had been directed by Edward Albee on a New York stage and had played a bully in the coming-of-age film Angus (1995) when he was hired as a Steven Spielberg wannabe on Dawson’s Creek, created by Kevin Williamson for Columbia TriStar Television.
—
Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
In the end, the crowd voted, and the wannabe from Bourbonnais walked away with the title.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
This is not an attention-grabbing field of gubernatorial wannabes, to put it politely.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Well, that requires the typical wannabe California owner to stash away 55% of all spare cash after paying for taxes and basic needs for five consecutive years to build a nest egg equal to a 10% down payment.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
In the end, the crowd voted, and the wannabe from Bourbonnais walked away with the title.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
This is not an attention-grabbing field of gubernatorial wannabes, to put it politely.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Well, that requires the typical wannabe California owner to stash away 55% of all spare cash after paying for taxes and basic needs for five consecutive years to build a nest egg equal to a 10% down payment.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wannabe
Noun
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On Friday, some of her followers made the trek to the mural only to find that the logo had already been painted over with a lighter shade of purple.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
17 Mar. 2026
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And speaking with Jon Weinstein, the National Hockey League’s chief communications officer, SI noted that the league’s social media pages exploded with new followers.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Though Cox has a small role and Panettiere returns, the lack of legacy characters makes this feel like a cheap imitator at times.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
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For decades, Gallup’s company and its imitators improved their techniques.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Scientists found echoes of human presence dating back to around 14,500 years ago, including footprints, wooden tools, foundations for a building and the remains of an ancient fire pit.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
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What was once one of Southeast Asia's most notorious party towns was now a family-friendly echo of its past.—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wannabe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabe. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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