1
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
a strong contender for the mayoral position
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in competitor
one who strives for the same thing as another
several contenders competing for the title of the city's best Italian restaurant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of contender
See IndieWire’s full list of 2026 Emmy predictions, complete with frontrunners, contenders, and long shots on our website.
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Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
2 July 2026
This was supposed to be the summer where Guerin would take big swings and leave no stone unturned in giving the Wild a push into serious Cup contender status.
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Michael Russo,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Power goes to the head of a newspaper magnate (Welles) who uses his media empire to build himself into a political contender, while a reporter (William Alland) is left piecing together the puzzle of the mogul's complicated legacy.
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Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Victoria Watlington, who wasn’t included in the April poll, could also be a contender.
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Josh Bergeron,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
2 July 2026
This was supposed to be the summer where Guerin would take big swings and leave no stone unturned in giving the Wild a push into serious Cup contender status.
—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Power goes to the head of a newspaper magnate (Welles) who uses his media empire to build himself into a political contender, while a reporter (William Alland) is left piecing together the puzzle of the mogul's complicated legacy.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Victoria Watlington, who wasn’t included in the April poll, could also be a contender.
—
Josh Bergeron,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
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Under the current system, office holders targeted in a recall are barred from being a candidate to replace themselves in that same election.
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So did former Gwinnett County School Board Chairman Everton Blair, the only candidate who ran for a full term to also qualify in the special election.
Noun
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Joby has been in a fierce battle to be the first with taxis in the sky with its Northern California competitor Archer Aviation.
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Plaintiffs claimed that Disney’s carriage agreements required streaming platforms to include ESPN in base channel packages, limiting the ability of competitors to offer cheaper bundles.
Noun
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The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in New York on July 4, where contestants ate several days' worth of calories in just 10 minutes.
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The reality star — who was briefly engaged to the winner of his season, Hannah Ann Sluss, and dated his fifth place contestant, Kelley Flanagan, on and off for years — addressed the book for the first time on Monday.
Noun
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The South American rivals may just end up facing each other in a week.
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Adding another defender became even more important after guard Marcus Smart signed with Western Conference rival Houston.
Noun
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Her victory over leftist challenger Roberto Sánchez marks her fourth presidential bid and makes her Peru’s first female president-elect.
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Republican Mark Baisley didn't face a challenger for the GOP nomination and will face Hickelooper in the November general election.
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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