front-runner

noun

front-run·​ner ˈfrənt-ˌrə-nər How to pronounce front-runner (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The only team to win all three of their group games is a worthy front-runner. The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 June 2025 The Emerson survey found Vice President Vance as the clear front-runner at 46 percent support, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 12 percent and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 9 percent. Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 27 June 2025 Sarah Rice/Getty Images What To Know Rogers is the GOP front-runner, according to a poll commissioned by pro-crypto, pro-Republican group First Principles Digital. Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025 Raymond Santana, one of five teenagers wrongfully incarcerated for the 1989 rape of a Central Park jogger, was trailing three front-runners as of about 10 p.m.. Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for front-runner

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of front-runner was in 1896

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Cite this Entry

“Front-runner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/front-runner. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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