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 of contender

• candidate

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

Every contender will at least check in — yes, even the spendaholic, back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers, who might view the deadline as something close to last call. —Levi Weaver, New York Times, 1 June 2026

The majority of the contenders are not associated with California politics in the national eye, and some are not associated with much of anything at all. —Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

One contender is the current site of the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano. —S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 1 June 2026

At the end of Friday’s preliminary competition, Hernandez and five other high jump contenders sprawled on their stomachs beneath the high jump tent, cheering on West Ranch junior Avery Prestridge and La Jolla junior Anastasia Volkov in a jump-off for the final qualifying spot. —Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

contend + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contender

• bartender
• defender
• engender
• extender
• offender
• pretender
• provender
• surrender
• suspender
• transgender
• bender
• blender