as in contender
one who strives for the same thing as another
the third-party challenger in the presidential election
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of challenger
Her victory over leftist challenger Roberto Sánchez marks her fourth presidential bid and makes her Peru’s first female president-elect.
—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2026
Republican Mark Baisley didn't face a challenger for the GOP nomination and will face Hickelooper in the November general election.
—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Season 42 continues on Wednesday with Richard Nguyen returning as champion to face two new challengers.
—
Usa Today Staff,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Democratic challengers questioned his absence ahead of what is expected to be one of the most competitive midterm congressional campaigns in the country.
—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
A lot of challenger brands have stumbled at exactly this moment.
—
Esha Chhabra,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Veteran Democrats face new challengers hoping to use the party’s increasing anti-Washington interests to their advantage.
—
Josh Feldman,
NBC news,
30 June 2026
Netanyahu has seen multiple challengers rise on waves of public hope and support, only to fall short against his political skills.
—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
Two of his House colleagues in New York just lost primaries to progressive challengers, an example of the tough crosscurrents in the Democratic Party.
—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
29 June 2026
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2026
Republican Mark Baisley didn't face a challenger for the GOP nomination and will face Hickelooper in the November general election.
—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Season 42 continues on Wednesday with Richard Nguyen returning as champion to face two new challengers.
—
Usa Today Staff,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Democratic challengers questioned his absence ahead of what is expected to be one of the most competitive midterm congressional campaigns in the country.
—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
A lot of challenger brands have stumbled at exactly this moment.
—
Esha Chhabra,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Veteran Democrats face new challengers hoping to use the party’s increasing anti-Washington interests to their advantage.
—
Josh Feldman,
NBC news,
30 June 2026
Netanyahu has seen multiple challengers rise on waves of public hope and support, only to fall short against his political skills.
—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 June 2026
Two of his House colleagues in New York just lost primaries to progressive challengers, an example of the tough crosscurrents in the Democratic Party.
—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for challenger
Noun
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Anthony Elanga puts up a contender for the goal of the tournament with a rocket from the corner of the box into the left side of the net to bring this one back even at one goal apiece in the 62nd minute.
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Matthew Brewer, previously the CHA’s interim CEO and board chair, declared his candidacy in the 2027 mayoral race, the latest addition to a widening pool of contenders.
Noun
-
Casa Amor’s Alannah Keyser is the latest Love Island contestant to get fired after a video surfaced of her allegedly using the N-word.
-
This is not the first time a Love Island USA contestant was booted from the show for a similar situation.
Noun
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Joby has been in a fierce battle to be the first with taxis in the sky with its Northern California competitor Archer Aviation.
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Plaintiffs claimed that Disney’s carriage agreements required streaming platforms to include ESPN in base channel packages, limiting the ability of competitors to offer cheaper bundles.
Noun
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In what felt like an absolute fever dream, the PIX 11 studio team was talking to reporter Steve Gelbs before a game against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies.
-
Escalating violence Sydney’s western suburbs are ground zero for a turf war that’s seen criminal gangs shoot up rivals’ homes, ignite cars and businesses, kidnap and kill associates and terrorize their families.
Cite this Entry
“Challenger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/challenger. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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