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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wannabes
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
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
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The account has already attracted over 63,000 followers, many of whom originally believed the cheerful residents were real.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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The President’s message, circulated among his 11 million followers and beyond, stood in direct defiance of a court order from last week.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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This quickly became the world's best-selling pen and was soon followed by many imitators that sold in the billions.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Oct. 2025
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McVay’s offense inspired imitators as his assistant coaches spread across the NFL over the next few seasons, and while new defensive schemes famously evolved to counter it, 11 personnel seemed a permanent fixture of a league hell-bent on passing.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That, too, had echoes of last season, when City, the reigning champions, lost their way completely after a promising start, winning just one match out of 13 in all competitions between late October and late December.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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Ditto the echoes of The Civil War, also examining a battle that pit brother against brother, and The Vietnam War, in which America became the occupying imperial force failing to understand or successfully combat a domestic insurgence.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wannabes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabes. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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