contender
noun
con·tend·er
kən-ˈten-dər 
: one that contends
especially
: a competitor for a championship or high honor
a heavyweight title contender
the leading presidential contenders
Examples of contender in a Sentence
There are several contestants, but only two real contenders.
This latest defeat means that she's no longer a contender for the world title.
Recent Examples on the Web
According to multiple reports, the UFC parted ways with 33-year-old Slovakian heavyweight contender Martin Buday.
—
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Kienholz was probably the slightly better of the two contenders, but the goal for both is to start stringing good practices together to make the decision easier.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Sanders, whose name comes up among potential 2028 presidential contenders, has been making trips to South Carolina since her father, former Arkansas governor and current U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, sought the 2008 GOP nomination.
—Arkansas Online, 30 July 2025
The first-term Maryland governor is already drawing early buzz from high-profile figures and media outlets as a potential 2028 presidential contender.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
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Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Kienholz was probably the slightly better of the two contenders, but the goal for both is to start stringing good practices together to make the decision easier.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Sanders, whose name comes up among potential 2028 presidential contenders, has been making trips to South Carolina since her father, former Arkansas governor and current U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, sought the 2008 GOP nomination.
—Arkansas Online, 30 July 2025
The first-term Maryland governor is already drawing early buzz from high-profile figures and media outlets as a potential 2028 presidential contender.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contender. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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