1
as in candidates
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 competitors
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
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Recent Examples of contenders
The bay colt won the Santa Anita Derby at Southern California's Santa Anita Park last month ahead of fellow Derby contenders Potente and Intrepido, who came in second and fourth, respectively.
—
Alex Sundby, CBS News, 1 May 2026
And when two legitimate Stanley Cup contenders meet, regardless of round, desperation tends to win out.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Those pilots in particular are seen as strong contenders for series orders, while the network is also considering a number of other procedural and comedy pilots.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 1 May 2026
United should look keenly at Liverpool’s success in taking the big step from Champions League regulars to Premier League title contenders.
—Steve Kornacki, NBC news, 1 May 2026
This year, Renegade is viewed as the favorite; other top contenders are Commandment and Further Ado.
—Javier Zarracina, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Cox still has two strong contenders in the race, Further Ado and Commandment, who are both 6-1 on the morning line.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The Smoke Pit was crowned the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Barbecue restaurant in 2024, beating out a deep field of regional contenders.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, the race’s overall front-runner, dismissed the Democratic contenders seeking Newsom’s seal of approval as misguided and a waste of time.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026
Alex Sundby, CBS News, 1 May 2026
And when two legitimate Stanley Cup contenders meet, regardless of round, desperation tends to win out.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Those pilots in particular are seen as strong contenders for series orders, while the network is also considering a number of other procedural and comedy pilots.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 1 May 2026
United should look keenly at Liverpool’s success in taking the big step from Champions League regulars to Premier League title contenders.
—Steve Kornacki, NBC news, 1 May 2026
This year, Renegade is viewed as the favorite; other top contenders are Commandment and Further Ado.
—Javier Zarracina, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Cox still has two strong contenders in the race, Further Ado and Commandment, who are both 6-1 on the morning line.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The Smoke Pit was crowned the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Barbecue restaurant in 2024, beating out a deep field of regional contenders.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, the race’s overall front-runner, dismissed the Democratic contenders seeking Newsom’s seal of approval as misguided and a waste of time.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contenders
Noun
-
The two highest-polling candidates — Hilton and Steyer — are in the mid-teens, with most of the other candidates close behind.—
Anne Bryson,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Mfume has not joined in the negative attack game, but Conway, like other failing candidates, has decided his only political pathway is simply to run a nasty and divisive campaign.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When Beijing wishes to shape the outcome of a transaction, signal displeasure, or slow the advance of foreign competitors in strategic sectors, antitrust enforcement has proven an effective tool.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Chevy Bolt's electric hatchback has a huge advantage over some competitors as the least expensive new EV.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Since the show eliminated a rule prohibiting contestants from winning more than five consecutive games, 20 players have won 10 or more games in a row, including Jamie Ding, the current returning champion.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Six contestants will be forced to stay awake for 48 hours while enduring intense and nonstop challenges.—
Scott Huver,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Liverpool would wriggle their way back to the top of the table by March, only for the campaign to fall apart after five defeats in seven matches, a run that allowed Merseyside rivals Everton to win the league for the second time in three seasons.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Colombian presidential candidate Iván Cepeda consolidated his lead in the most recent poll and would defeat both conservative rivals in a runoff scenario, five weeks ahead of the vote.—
Oscar Medina,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His two challengers, Francisco Tamayo and Yair Gersten, come from more Democratic backgrounds, setting up a race that could reshape the ideological balance at City Hall.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
There is something comforting, to me, about this churn of champions and challengers.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contenders. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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