1
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
a strong contender for the mayoral position
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Ace lefty Garrett Crochet, the prize of the Boston offseason and a top AL Cy Young contender, has already eclipsed last year’s career-high 146 innings by nearly 50.
—
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Two great offenses, two really strong defenses, past two league MVPs in Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, and two top-tier Super Bowl contenders in a rematch of last year’s divsional playoff game won by the Bills, 27-25, in snowy Buffalo.
—Greg Cote
september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Philly is likely to put together another terrific year but there are an ample number of contenders for their championship.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The film also unites Enyedi with Léa Seydoux, star of her 2021 Cannes Palme d’Or contender The Story of My Wife, who makes a special appearance as a plant communication specialist.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Two great offenses, two really strong defenses, past two league MVPs in Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, and two top-tier Super Bowl contenders in a rematch of last year’s divsional playoff game won by the Bills, 27-25, in snowy Buffalo.
—Greg Cote
september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Philly is likely to put together another terrific year but there are an ample number of contenders for their championship.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The film also unites Enyedi with Léa Seydoux, star of her 2021 Cannes Palme d’Or contender The Story of My Wife, who makes a special appearance as a plant communication specialist.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contender
Noun
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Polls of job approval are routinely used by political strategists to assess the public's appetite for change and can affect fundraising, candidate recruitment and messaging heading into midterm contests.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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The sixth woman of the year candidate has scored 24, 21, and 18 points in the last three games against the Valkyries and has routinely been the spark plug for Minnesota in stopping the Golden State’s runs.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As Lyles started to activate his signature top-end speed, his Jamaican competitors continued to pull away ahead of him.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Production shutdowns, layoffs BrightDrop's struggles come less than a year after GM folded the commercial vans into its Chevrolet brand in a bid to boost its performance as GM tries to gain ground against competitors, including Ford and Rivian, in the electric van space.—
Jackie Charniga,
Freep.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Chinese artist will bring his expertise as a glonal artist to guide the contestants through this crucial semi-final stage.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The format grants viewers unprecedented control over programming elements, from influencing contestant challenges involving current events and social issues to deciding elimination outcomes and performance selections.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While the Gulf states may well reconsider aspects of their defense and procurement policies, a major re-pivot to primarily buying military hardware, especially sophisticated equipment, from China or Russia and other rivals of the Western powers seems highly unlikely.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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In-state alog with Miami’s huge win (see above), Fllrida played credibly in a 20-10 loss to 3-LSU, and FIU defeated rival FAU 38-28 in the annual Shula Bowl game.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In the main event, recent UFC featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes faces the surging Jean Silva, who is undefeated since joining the UFC in 2024.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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As part of the agreement, Carlyle branding will be featured on the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 challenger and across key team assets, including the car chassis, drivers’ team kit, pit wall and garage environment.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contender. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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