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
Great powers are marked by their capacity to make painful choices—great-power wannabes have to make tough choices, too.
—
Nirupama Rao, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2025
Looking at the historical sample of data, the goal was to develop a set of rules that helped distinguish the genuine contenders from the pretenders and to narrow down as few actual champions as possible while simultaneously eliminating as many of the wannabes.
—Neil Paine, New York Times, 17 June 2025
But despite his equally capacious reach, Schaefer is no Franzen wannabe.
—Book Marks
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
These are real veterans, not the local wannabes who give lip service to those who have been in the military but are somehow unable to credit the sacrifices of those who don’t share their political party.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Nirupama Rao, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2025
Looking at the historical sample of data, the goal was to develop a set of rules that helped distinguish the genuine contenders from the pretenders and to narrow down as few actual champions as possible while simultaneously eliminating as many of the wannabes.
—Neil Paine, New York Times, 17 June 2025
But despite his equally capacious reach, Schaefer is no Franzen wannabe.
—Book Marks
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
These are real veterans, not the local wannabes who give lip service to those who have been in the military but are somehow unable to credit the sacrifices of those who don’t share their political party.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wannabe
Noun
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Every brand chases clicks, followers and fleeting visibility.—
Sudhir Gupta,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
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Perhaps livestreaming a joke would resonate enough for people to tip or become a follower.—
Lavender Au,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In several other 2025 cases, ICE agent imitators have been seeking social media clout or making a political point.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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Over the past two decades, China has risen from imitator to innovator, advancing rapidly in new energy, robotics, batteries and drones—and related military power.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Jessa Barniol, 38, a graphic designer and history buff who works as a tour guide at the Sacramento History Museum in Old Sacramento, had a faux dragon perched on her shoulder like a parrot and wore a top hat festooned with a pair of goggles.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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An 1856 drawing of a popular San Francisco saloon known as the Cobweb Palace depicts a crowd of humans joined by two dogs, a pig, a parrot, and six monkeys.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wannabe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabe. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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