noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ serious , strong
▪ leading , main , major , number-one , obvious ( esp. BrE ), top
▪
Senator Clinton was considered a leading ~ for the Democratic presidential nomination.
▪ genuine , legitimate ( esp. AmE ), likely , possible , real , worthy
▪ presidential
▪ Democratic , Republican
▪ championship , medal , title
▪
He's gone from being a serious title ~ to being totally written off.
▪ play-off (in American football)
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ for
▪
a strong ~ for the gold medal