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:
The clearest example is what happened last month, when Rep. John Larson, a 78-year-old Democrat who has represented Connecticut since 1999, lost his primary to a younger challenger.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026
According to polls conducted in the past two months, he leads his Republican challenger by more than 20 points.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Cohen, a Democrat, faces challenger Herb Morgan, a Republican from San Diego, in the Nov. 3 election.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Hennessy, the number one ranked challenger with the WBC, would become the youngest undisputed world champion in four-belt history if she defeats Thorslund.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The absence of an Eiffel challenger continued to frustrate Burnham.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Judges Robert Wilkins and Judith Rogers concluded that the challengers were likely to succeed on their equal protection claim.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
The biggest hurdle facing the challengers may be the issue of standing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
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
Under Paramount’s request, it would receive the bond funds if it beats the challengers in court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 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.
