variants
also wannabees
as in followers
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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wannabes
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
Other wannabes came with security.
—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
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
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
Other wannabes came with security.
—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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wannabes
Noun
-
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
-
Unlike Jesus’s followers who doubted his resurrection, crypto’s true disciples aren’t losing faith.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For decades, Gallup’s company and its imitators improved their techniques.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Along the way, the festival has outlasted many imitators and weathered shifting food trends by staying nimble.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When numerous low-altitude targets appear, radar systems detect them amid the clutter – unwanted echoes from terrain, sea surfaces, rain or buildings – before identifying and continuously tracking them, reported SCMP.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
And those echoes carry a familiar name.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wannabes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabes. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
