in the running
Idioms-
Entered as a competitor in a contest. For example, Is Mary in the running for this election? The antonym, out of the running , means “not entered as a competitor,” as in Ian is out of the running for the job now that he's living in another state . [Mid-1800s]
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Having a chance to win, as in Mary's still in the running for the promotion . Again, out of the running means the opposite, as in He's too old—he's out of the running . [Mid-1800s] Both usages allude to the entry and chances of a horse in a race.
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.
Chad could be in the running to be the third, especially if the Red Sox make the playoffs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Four women and two men are in the running to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The image of the beached horse first lodged in Nolan’s mind over 20 years ago when he was in the running to direct a movie based on another Homeric epic, “The Iliad.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Having been in the running to become chancellor, the former Labour leader made headlines as energy secretary in Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet, grabbing headlines for his championing of net zero policies.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The flag-bearer was determined by a vote by my US teammates across all sports, and I was honored to even be in the running with world-famous athletes like Carmelo Anthony, Serena Williams, and Allyson Felix.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
