Definition of CONTENDERS (original) (raw)
: 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 The independent production, distributed by Neon, is a major Oscar contender and screens this evening, September 8, at the Toronto International Film Festival. —
Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2024 With a relatively thin field in this year’s supporting actor race, Henry could be a strong contender. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 7 Sep. 2024 The Michigan and Penn State games will prove whether this Trojans squad is a playoff contender, or the Louisiana State win was just a mirage in the Las Vegas desert. —Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2024 Scheduled for a theatrical release in November in Brazil, the film is likely to spark debate at home and is also a strong contender to be selected as the country’s submission to the Best International Feature Film category in the 97th Academy Awards. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Sep. 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.
Word History
First Known Use
1547, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of contender was in 1547
Dictionary Entries Near contender
Cite this Entry
“Contender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contender. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
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Last Updated: 11 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
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