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
Little was known about the process until La Prensa reported Chavez was the front-runner.
—
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
From the day that Steve Clifford stepped down and ended his second run as the Hornets’ head, Lee has been thought to be the front-runner.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2024
While Porter launched political attacks against Schiff, the front-runner, throughout the campaign, Lee mostly stayed above the fray, rarely singling out her opponents by name.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
What’s to be sorted out: The No. 4 and No. 5 jobs; Horton and Trader could be front-runners, presuming Brown beats them out for the No. 3 job.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2024
In the race for the Democratic nomination, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, is widely considered the likely front-runner, facing Detroit actor Hill Harper and Dearborn businessman Nasser Beydoun.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 26 Apr. 2024
Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, is an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
All three lead the state in their event and Cathedral’s Catholic’s Vince Atilano, the boys’ 300-meter hurdle front-runner, opted to compete in the 400-meter hurdles and finished second in 53.63, just as El Capitan’s Jonathan Tseko-Biffle was runner-up in the 300s at 37.77.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The case study of what went right and wrong at those two giant corporations offers a master class in business strategy not just for today’s front-runners at the likes of Google, Open AI, Amazon, and elsewhere—but also for any Fortune 500 leader hoping to survive and thrive in the coming decade.
—Bygeoff Colvin, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
From the day that Steve Clifford stepped down and ended his second run as the Hornets’ head, Lee has been thought to be the front-runner.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2024
While Porter launched political attacks against Schiff, the front-runner, throughout the campaign, Lee mostly stayed above the fray, rarely singling out her opponents by name.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
What’s to be sorted out: The No. 4 and No. 5 jobs; Horton and Trader could be front-runners, presuming Brown beats them out for the No. 3 job.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2024
In the race for the Democratic nomination, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, is widely considered the likely front-runner, facing Detroit actor Hill Harper and Dearborn businessman Nasser Beydoun.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 26 Apr. 2024
Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, is an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
All three lead the state in their event and Cathedral’s Catholic’s Vince Atilano, the boys’ 300-meter hurdle front-runner, opted to compete in the 400-meter hurdles and finished second in 53.63, just as El Capitan’s Jonathan Tseko-Biffle was runner-up in the 300s at 37.77.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The case study of what went right and wrong at those two giant corporations offers a master class in business strategy not just for today’s front-runners at the likes of Google, Open AI, Amazon, and elsewhere—but also for any Fortune 500 leader hoping to survive and thrive in the coming decade.
—Bygeoff Colvin, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'front-runner.' 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
“Front-runner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/front-runner. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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