runner-up

American  

[ruhn-er-uhp] / ˈrʌn ərˈʌp /

noun

plural

runners-up

1. the competitor, player, or team finishing in second place, as in a race, contest, or tournament.

2. runners-up, the competitors who do not win a contest but who place ahead of the majority of the contestants and share in prizes or honors, as those who place second, third, and fourth, or in the top ten.

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runner-up British  

noun

1. a contestant finishing a race or competition in second place

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Etymology

Origin of runner-up

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

After three successive runners-up finishes in the Premier League, including blowing significant leads at the top in 2023 and 2024, the north Londoners finally look set to end their title drought.

From Barron's

Her work was also a runner-up in SOPA's award for excellence in reporting on women's issues.

From The Wall Street Journal

South Africa, the runners-up in 2024, have never won a white ball World Cup, but are buoyed by winning the World Test Championship last year.

From Barron's

Disney’s leaders wanted the succession process to be as clean as possible, without runners-up leaving the company.

From The Wall Street Journal

Only the three group winners plus the runner-up with the best record advance directly to the quarter-finals, with the other eight teams instead going into a play-off round.

From BBC

Related Words

• double