Contender
Contender noun - One who strives for the same thing as another.
Usage example: several contenders competing for the title of the city's best Italian restaurant
Rival is a synonym for contender in competitor topic. In some cases you can use "Rival" instead a noun "Contender", when it comes to topics like conflict, rivalry, opponent. popular alternative
Nearby Words: contended, contending
Rival
Rival noun - One who strives for the same thing as another.
Usage example: the four cities that are the top rivals for the site of the next Olympic Games
Contender is a synonym for rival in opponent topic. You can use "Contender" instead a noun "Rival", if it concerns topics such as conflict, competitor, rivalry, person who opposes in competition. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- opposition and contender
- opposition and rival
- competitor and contender
- competitor and rival
- contestant and contender
- contestant and rival
- assailant and contender
- assailant and rival
- antagonist and contender
- antagonist and rival
- competition and contender
- competition and rival
- combatant and contender
- combatant and rival
Both words in one sentence
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The huge country is bound to become another huge global contender to rival even Disney in the years to come.
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The Rival: Darusa, a superpowered contender for the throne.
Source: Manga / Chinpui -
Bad Boss: It's stated in the series and especially the books that Hacker and the then Prime Minister had a somewhat adversarial relationship (Hacker having run a rival contender's in-party campaign for nomination as Prime Minister and while they lost to the PM, he still holds a grudge).
Source: Series / Yes, Minister
Cite this Source
Rival and Contender. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/contender/rival
Contender & Rival. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/contender/rival>.
Rival or Contender. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/contender/rival.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "contender" and "rival" have occurred on timeline