running mate
Americannoun
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a candidate for an office linked with another and more important office, as for the vice-presidency.
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a horse entered in a race in which another, more important, horse from the same stable, or belonging to the same owner, is run.
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a close companion.
noun
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a candidate for the subordinate of two linked positions, esp a candidate for the vice-presidency
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a horse that pairs another in a team
Etymology
Origin of running mate
An Americanism dating back to 1865–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Running mate Jaylen Brown went just 1 for 4 in the fourth quarter Monday with both stars playing more than 44 minutes.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2022
Running mate selections always generate a certain amount of chaos on Capitol Hill in August.
From Fox News • Aug. 4, 2020
Running mate Tim Kaine, husband and former President Bill Clinton, daughter Chelsea Clinton and her opponent-turned-surrogate Bernie Sanders all have been in the state too.
From Time • Oct. 3, 2016
Running mate: The presidential nominee's candidate for the vice-presidency.
From BBC • Sep. 20, 2016
Running mate Sharen Neuhardt will head to the annual AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic at Coney Island near Cincinnati.
From Washington Times • Sep. 1, 2014
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
