challenger
Americannoun
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challengers
plural
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a person or thing that challenges.
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Boxing. a boxer who fights a champion for his championship title.
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Radio. interrogator.
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U.S. Aerospace. none Challenger the second space shuttle to orbit and return to earth: exploded 1½ min. after launch on Jan. 28, 1986, causing the death of all seven on board.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of challenger
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at challenge, -er 1
Explanation
Challengers don’t let things stay the way they are, they go against something already in place, like a rule or the score on the scoreboard. Or they go after the same thing you may want, like victory in a competition or even the parking spot you were waiting for. In earlier history, during the Middle Ages, a challenger was mostly a dreaded foe or someone who wanted to fight to the death with a sword. Some challengers want to challenge the truth or rightness of something, and that can be pretty serious too. In modern times, though, the word challenger often describes competitors who want to challenge each other in sports, on TV game shows, or in arguments. These challengers enjoy the challenge itself.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Intel’s CEO said this week that the chip maker may return to the memory market, potentially making it a challenger to Micron and SK Hynix.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Draper is one of the sport’s most ferocious young talents, considered a challenger to Sinner and Alcaraz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass outraised her challenger, Councilmember Nithya Raman, by more than $300,000 in the first fundraising period of the general election, new campaign finance reports show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
In theory, the Qatari would be a serious challenger to Infantino.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
But the markings here were strong: the challenger hunted this territory, and the threat in his scent was unmistakable.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
The result was widely expected, with Hichilema -- in power since 2021 -- facing a crowded field of 13 challengers led by a former provincial minister, Brian Mundubile, making his first bid for the presidency.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Businesses face an array of challengers, however, so the economy isn’t firing on all cylinders.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Leclerc and team principal Frederic Vasseur, though, were cautious about their prospects of becoming consistent challengers to Mercedes.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
That’s true, but these challengers aren’t simply outsiders new to politics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
First, Peter Fitzgerald decided not to run for reelection, clearing the field for challengers and relative newcomers like my husband.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
