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
The three gubernatorial front-runners for California governor offer sharply different futures for state workforce.
—
Ruyuan Li. Story Produced With Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and former health secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who emerged late in the campaign as a front-runner, led a crowded field in the California governor’s race Wednesday morning.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 3 June 2026
Unlike gubernatorial elections in the last quarter of a century, this year’s race lacked a clear crowd-pleasing front-runner able to win over voters, such as movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jerry Brown, a sage of the California electorate and scion of a storied political family.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
The loss was particularly striking because Feenstra had long been viewed as the race’s front-runner.
—Nik Popli, Time, 3 June 2026
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Ruyuan Li. Story Produced With Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and former health secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who emerged late in the campaign as a front-runner, led a crowded field in the California governor’s race Wednesday morning.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 3 June 2026
Unlike gubernatorial elections in the last quarter of a century, this year’s race lacked a clear crowd-pleasing front-runner able to win over voters, such as movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jerry Brown, a sage of the California electorate and scion of a storied political family.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
The loss was particularly striking because Feenstra had long been viewed as the race’s front-runner.
—Nik Popli, Time, 3 June 2026
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 8 Jun. 2026.
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