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
In 2022, when McKee was seeking his first full four-year term in a crowded field of wannabes that included Foulkes in her first run, McKee got the votes of 81 of 159 delegates, edging out then Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, who took 58 votes.
—
Katherine Gregg,
The Providence Journal,
20 June 2026
Kelly spends the first half of his book running through a who’s who of the New England underworld, gangsters and mob wannabes who likely came into contact with the art before the investigation reached Maine and Gentile.
—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
All the young, single Carolyn Bessette wannabes were vying for his attention.
—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
22 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
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
Katherine Gregg,
The Providence Journal,
20 June 2026
Kelly spends the first half of his book running through a who’s who of the New England underworld, gangsters and mob wannabes who likely came into contact with the art before the investigation reached Maine and Gentile.
—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
All the young, single Carolyn Bessette wannabes were vying for his attention.
—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
22 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wannabes
Noun
-
In the days since posting the news, Mitchell has continued to update her followers about the aftermath and the start of the healing process, including videos of herself laboring.
-
But in my experience, even the most active and transparent people sharing what seems to be every tidbit of their life to feed or attract followers will never share their social security number or address.
Noun
-
Steven Spielberg's dino masterpiece — which has spawned six sequels and countless imitators — ushered in a new wave of CGI filmmaking and became an instant sensation beyond what original author Michael Crichton could ever have envisioned.
-
Their clothes inspired imitators.
Noun
-
There may be echoes of history on George’s first day.
-
Instead of a handheld probe sweeping across your skin, a ring of transducers surrounds the body underwater and fires sound waves from every angle at once, reconstructing a full 3D volume from the echoes.
Cite this Entry
“Wannabes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wannabes. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
