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
Miami — where the twins grew up and where their mother lives — made a heavy push to keep them home, and was considered a front-runner at various points in their recruitment.
—
Brendan Marks, New York Times, 9 July 2025
The 17-year-old left wing, who is widely believed to be the front-runner to be selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, is coming off a 129-point regular season with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
—Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Numerous potential suitors for TikTok have emerged so far, with a front-runner, according to unconfirmed reports, being enterprise software giant Oracle.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 July 2025
Cuomo had been the front-runner for most of the race, even though Mamdani had continually built momentum.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 5 July 2025
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Brendan Marks, New York Times, 9 July 2025
The 17-year-old left wing, who is widely believed to be the front-runner to be selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, is coming off a 129-point regular season with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
—Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Numerous potential suitors for TikTok have emerged so far, with a front-runner, according to unconfirmed reports, being enterprise software giant Oracle.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 July 2025
Cuomo had been the front-runner for most of the race, even though Mamdani had continually built momentum.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 5 July 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 15 Jul. 2025.
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