running mate

noun

1

: companion

2

: a horse entered in a race to set the pace for a horse of the same owner or stable

3

: a candidate running for a subordinate place on a ticket

especially : the candidate for vice president

Synonyms

• associate
• cohort
• companion
• compatriot
• compeer
• comrade
• crony
• fellow
• hobnobber
• mate

Examples of running mate in a Sentence

When John F. Kennedy ran for president, his running mate was Lyndon Johnson.

inseparable running mates who first met when they were in elementary school

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump revealed in February that Gabbard was under consideration to be his running mate, according to Hawaii News Now. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 24 May 2024

In addition to the threshold question, conventional analysis has added a bonus question in the selection of a running mate: Would this man or woman help win the election? —Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 20 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

running mate

noun

: a candidate running for a lesser office (as vice president) who is on the same ticket with the candidate for the top office