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

• 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

Measure each contender or confirm its specs with the manufacturer, suggests Davis. —Dina Cheney, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025

The Green Bay Packers and head coach Matt LaFleur will enter the 2025 NFL season as a team many expect to be a contender in the NFC. Led by Jordan Love, the offense looks to be explosive with elite young talent at the wide receiver position. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

Catherine Parenteau, currently ranked fourth in women’s singles and a top-five contender across doubles and mixed doubles, didn’t set out to become a professional pickleball player. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

All in all, the team agreed, Diptyque’s contender was tomato-centric with the bonus of basil. —Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 June 2025

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