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
The winner takes home nearly $2.9 million and the runner-up $1.4 million.
—
Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
The real success was where England’s senior men finished at the four major tournaments from World Cup 2018 to Euro 2024: semi-finalists, runners-up, quarter-finalists, runners-up again.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 7 June 2025
The New York Times (NYT) listed the Midea U Window Air Conditioner as the number one contender on the newspaper's list of six best air conditioners of 2025, while the U+ model won runner-up.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 7 June 2025
The Longhorns finished as the WCWS runner-up in both 2022 and 2024, but now have a chance to capture their first championship.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for runner-up
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Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
The real success was where England’s senior men finished at the four major tournaments from World Cup 2018 to Euro 2024: semi-finalists, runners-up, quarter-finalists, runners-up again.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 7 June 2025
The New York Times (NYT) listed the Midea U Window Air Conditioner as the number one contender on the newspaper's list of six best air conditioners of 2025, while the U+ model won runner-up.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 7 June 2025
The Longhorns finished as the WCWS runner-up in both 2022 and 2024, but now have a chance to capture their first championship.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for runner-up
Cite this Entry
“Runner-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runner-up. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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