wannabes

variants also wannabees
plural of wannabe
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 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
  • In another TikTok video, Kacie gave some dating advice to her followers.
    Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Musk shared the post, bringing it to his audience of over 226 million followers.
    Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • Kam Patterson, who is arriving from the Austin scene, a thriving-but-controversial branch of the comedy world loosely organized around Joe Rogan and his imitators.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wannabes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabes. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on wannabes

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!