front-runner
noun
front-run·ner
ˈfrənt-ˌrə-nər 
1
: a contestant who runs best when in the lead
2
: a leading contestant in or as if in a rivalry or competition
a political front-runner
Examples of front-runner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has received more good polling news as the early front-runner in the 2026 Senate race, with a new survey putting the Democrat ahead of Republicans Michael Whatley and Don Brown.
—
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025
On the other side, Matt Stafford is the MVP front-runner at this point for a Rams team whose two losses have come by a total of 10 points.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
If even the series’ front-runners can’t wrap their minds around what the technical is asking of them, then what’s the challenge really accomplishing?
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Mamdani, an Indian American state assemblyman who was born in Uganda, previously defeated the odds in June to earn the Democratic nomination for mayor over Cuomo, who was considered the clear front-runner by nearly every pollster throughout the primary race.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for front-runner
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Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025
On the other side, Matt Stafford is the MVP front-runner at this point for a Rams team whose two losses have come by a total of 10 points.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
If even the series’ front-runners can’t wrap their minds around what the technical is asking of them, then what’s the challenge really accomplishing?
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Mamdani, an Indian American state assemblyman who was born in Uganda, previously defeated the odds in June to earn the Democratic nomination for mayor over Cuomo, who was considered the clear front-runner by nearly every pollster throughout the primary race.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for front-runner
Cite this Entry
“Front-runner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/front-runner. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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