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
Synonyms
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
Here’s your cheat sheet for the 76th Emmy Awards, from the date to the biggest contenders in all the major categories.
—
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2024
The intrigue: While the league gives our home team a push befitting a championship contender led by a popular Olympic gold medalist, expect the City of Indianapolis to make a big deal about the upcoming season, too.
—Justin L. MacK, Axios, 16 Aug. 2024
None are desirable — especially the one involving heaving something other than a baseball — yet the former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star is a serious Cy Young Award contender in his third major league season.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Best Reservation: Rose & Crown Dining Room There are several top contenders for best EPCOT reservation, from Italy’s Neapolitan pizza to the cheese soup at Canada’s Le Cellier.
—Deanne Revel, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contender 
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2024
The intrigue: While the league gives our home team a push befitting a championship contender led by a popular Olympic gold medalist, expect the City of Indianapolis to make a big deal about the upcoming season, too.
—Justin L. MacK, Axios, 16 Aug. 2024
None are desirable — especially the one involving heaving something other than a baseball — yet the former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star is a serious Cy Young Award contender in his third major league season.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Best Reservation: Rose & Crown Dining Room There are several top contenders for best EPCOT reservation, from Italy’s Neapolitan pizza to the cheese soup at Canada’s Le Cellier.
—Deanne Revel, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contender
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near contender
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contender. Accessed 1 Sep. 2024.
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