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

• applicant
• applier
• aspirant
• campaigner
• candidate
• expectant
• hopeful
• prospect
• seeker

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 team was a playoff contender because the competitive equity rankings count not just wins and losses, but strength of schedule. —Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2024

If a couple of blockbusters do come to fruition before Sasaki is posted, the idea of Boston as a championship contender may not seem so farfetched. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2024

The winner of this game instantly becomes a playoff contender, while the loser is a pretender. —Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

Oscars shortlists arrive with good news for The Times The motion picture academy announced its Oscar shortlists this week, winnowing contenders in 10 categories including international feature and documentary feature. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

contend + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined above