red ribbon

noun

|Updated on: 27 Jul 2018

Definition of red ribbon

: a red ribbon usually with appropriate words or markings awarded the second-place winner in a competition

Recent Examples of red ribbon from the Web

There are also red ribbons for second place, white ribbons for third, light-blue honorable mentions and judges’ favorite picks.

— richard chang, latimes.com, "Art offers a feast of a different kind for OC Fair visitors," 12 July 2018
For Democrats facing an uphill struggle to block Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation, his protective views of the presidency could prove to be a bright red ribbon.

— New York Times, "Democrats Zero In on Kavanaugh’s Defense of Presidential Power," 11 July 2018
Just a few short weeks later, the newest member of the Coolidge household got gussied up for Christmas, adorned in a red ribbon.

— katherine j. wu, Smithsonian, "For His Patriotic Birthday, Five Facts About Calvin Coolidge," 2 July 2018
An old woman with her grandchild on the grass nearby is deftly twirling her blunt little knife around an apple, the red ribbon of the peel falling in a single flourish, as if the apple had slouched out of its red dress.

— patricia hampl, WSJ, "All of Summer In a Single Afternoon," 21 June 2018
In giving out honors, the risk of regret is higher with a prize awarded as liberally as the Legion’s green, white and gold medal on a red ribbon.

— richard pÉrez-peÑa, New York Times, "A French Honor Not Always for the Honorable; Assad Returns His," 20 Apr. 2018
Referee Phil Serfass and the other four members of the Broward County Football Officials Association who officiated Thursday’s game wore caps with the number 17 and a red ribbon embroidered on them.

— manny navarro, miamiherald, "Douglas' football team plays first game since school shooting. Here's what happened | Miami Herald," 25 May 2018
Yondu moves his sound-sensitive arrow with a whistle but also heart, and as this rolling overhead shot pulls back, the audience senses poetry amid the chaos in those red ribbons of light.

— valerie kalfrin, The Hollywood Reporter, "The Shot Turning the Marvel Universe Upside Down," 5 May 2018
The 33-year-old father will realize his goal on May 31 when restaurant staff and Tallmadge officials cut a red ribbon heralding the grand opening of the Global Kitchen at 12 Tallmadge Circle.

— jennifer conn, akron reporter, cleveland.com, "Global Kitchen serving Nepalese, Chinese and Indian set to open on Tallmadge Circle May 31," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'red ribbon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.