15 entries under participant topic. ×

37
competitor(noun, animal, person, conflict, opposition)
37
opponent(noun, person, conflict, opposition, rival)
35
antagonist(noun, person, opposition, rival, opponent)
34
adversary(noun, person, match, opposition, rival)
26
rival(noun, person, conflict, opposition, opponent)
18
entrant(noun, person, opposition, job, application)
10
player(noun, animal, person, sport, opposition)
4
opposition(noun, match, rival, opponent, favorite)
3
challenger(noun, animal, sport, opposition, rival)
3
favorite(noun, rival, competitor, contender)
3
runner(noun, person, job, competitor)
2
emulator(rival, opponent, favorite, competitor)
1
dark horse(noun, expression, opposition, job, rival)
1
sportsperson(noun, animal, sport, competitor)
0
corival(rival, favorite)
10 years ago|5.9k views|share |citing 
APASmart Define. (2016). contestant thesaurus. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/contestant/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2016. "contestant thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/contestant/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 29, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2016, contestant thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 29 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/contestant/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "contestant thesaurus" 30 March 2016. Web. 29 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/contestant/thesaurus/synonyms>