runner-up
noun
run·ner-up
ˈrə-nər-ˌəp 
ˌrə-nər-ˈəp
plural runners-up
ˈrə-nərz-ˌəp
ˌrə-nərz-ˈəp
also runner-ups
: the competitor that does not win first place in a contest
especially
: one that finishes in second place
Examples of runner-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sierra Leone, the Derby runner-up who went off as the favorite, was third and Honor Marie fourth.
—
CBS News, 8 June 2024
Meanwhile Pakistan, champions in 2009 and runners-up in 2022, are at risk of an early exit from the tournament.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 7 June 2024
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was supposed to face two-time French Open runner-up Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024
According to new analytics data provided by Beverage Digest, Dr Pepper surpassed longstanding runner-up Pepsi to become the second most popular soda in the U.S. in 2023 behind top favorite Coke.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for runner-up 
CBS News, 8 June 2024
Meanwhile Pakistan, champions in 2009 and runners-up in 2022, are at risk of an early exit from the tournament.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 7 June 2024
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was supposed to face two-time French Open runner-up Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024
According to new analytics data provided by Beverage Digest, Dr Pepper surpassed longstanding runner-up Pepsi to become the second most popular soda in the U.S. in 2023 behind top favorite Coke.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for runner-up
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'runner-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Runner-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runner-up. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
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