primarying

American

[prahy-mer-ee-ing, -muh-ree-] / ˈpraɪ mɛr i ɪŋ, -mə ri- /

noun

U.S. Politics.

the mounting of a challenge to the incumbent in a primary election.

There were many instances of primarying during the last election cycle.

Etymology

Origin of primarying

First recorded in 2010–15; primary ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

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.

In 1998, the Working Families Party began testing the strategy: primarying the worst incumbents, endorsing the best and running third-party races only when it made sense.

From Salon • Aug. 6, 2019

In Rhode Island, it is former secretary of state Matt Brown and Bernie Sanders-organizer Aaron Regunberg primarying Raimondo and her lieutenant governor.

From The Guardian • Sep. 10, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023