Synonyms

contender

American

[kuhn-ten-der] / kənˈtɛn dər /

noun

a person or group that competes against others to win something; contestant.

The three remaining contenders for the Democratic Party nomination met for a televised debate.
a person or group with a good chance of success in a contest.

After last season’s disaster, the Texas team needed to convince me they were a contender.

Etymology

Origin of contender

contend ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Baseball players, boxers, politicians: each is a contender in that they compete or campaign to win something. Contender has a slightly different meaning than competitor, often implying a more vigorous, even scrappier, sense of taking on every unexpected challenge. The most famous use of contender is Marlon Brando's quote in the film On The Waterfront. Brando plays a once promising boxer whose career has been ruined by a fixed fight. "I coulda been a contender!" Brando cried, implying he could have been the boxer whom everyone wanted to defeat.

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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.

Itauma has mentioned that an option is seasoned contender Filip Hrgovic, who fights Dave Allen in May.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

But the man widely regarded as a leading contender in the 2028 US presidential election will face huge challenges too when talks begin Saturday in Islamabad.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The 29-year-old left-hander was picked out by some observers as a potential contender after finishing fourth at the recent Players Championship and a runners-up spot in Texas last week.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

If they pointed some of that cash at basketball, he told them, they could have a contender overnight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

It's somewhat surprising that I'm a serious contender for the title of world heavyweight champion, not because I'm slow or weak but because I'm a relative newcomer to the sport.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023