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
Young courtesan wannabe Gigi (Leslie Caron) and Parisian playboy Gaston (Louis Jourdan) see each other as just friends, until romance intercedes in the musical confection.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Plenty of Kennedy wannabes showed up too late to compete, like brothers Denny and Enny—models, actors, and content creators who are originally from Montenegro and now live in Williamsburg.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 9 Mar. 2026
From the dealmakers in the Polo Lounge to the celebs hiding away in the spacious bungalows, all manner of tastemakers and wannabes have stopped by the Pink Palace at some time or another.
—Tim Chester, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2026
The Dodgers’ split-squad group that journeyed the 14 miles from Glendale (and ultimately lost to Texas, 7-6) was largely a skeleton crew of Triple-A bound prospects and wannabes.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Plenty of Kennedy wannabes showed up too late to compete, like brothers Denny and Enny—models, actors, and content creators who are originally from Montenegro and now live in Williamsburg.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 9 Mar. 2026
From the dealmakers in the Polo Lounge to the celebs hiding away in the spacious bungalows, all manner of tastemakers and wannabes have stopped by the Pink Palace at some time or another.
—Tim Chester, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2026
The Dodgers’ split-squad group that journeyed the 14 miles from Glendale (and ultimately lost to Texas, 7-6) was largely a skeleton crew of Triple-A bound prospects and wannabes.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wannabe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wannabe
Noun
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Getting followers on my account was never my intention going into this.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
20 Apr. 2026
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Online, Marshall has over 10 million followers across his TikTok, Instagram and YouTube channels for his popular fitness content and dance-style workouts.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In Karp’s telling, Basquiat is someone who Just Did Things, like today’s defense tech founders, who possess a similar kind of creative conviction, as opposed to the consumer tech imitators of yesteryear.—
Simon Denny,
Artforum,
20 Apr. 2026
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This cheesecake imitator is delicious topped with fresh strawberries, but other fruits can be substituted, such as pineapple or peaches.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Her rock-climbing skills also come in handy when she’s trapped in a narrow gorge, and soon after when a hairy ascent provides echoes of the prologue.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
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Because behind every ride is an echo of the thousands of Black cowboys who helped shape the American West.—
Brian Unger,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wannabe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabe. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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