runner-up

noun

run·​ner-up ˈrə-nər-ˌəp 

ˌrə-nər-ˈəp

plural runners-up ˈrə-nərz-ˌəp 

ˌrə-nərz-ˈəp

also runner-ups

: the competitor that does not win first place in a contest

especially : one that finishes in second place

Examples of runner-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An eight-time state champion (five in track and field, three in cross-country) at Oviedo High School in Florida, Simpson went on to star at Colorado as a two-time national steeplechase champion, a two-time national runner-up in cross-country and a three-time outdoor track and field All-American. —Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026

Drew, a runner-up of the 2026 Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational, will join a crew of other South Florida artists who are hot on the Gospel scene. —Sergy Odiduro, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026

Michelle Smith added a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, and Georgia's 4x400 relay closed the meet with a runner-up performance that helped clinch the national crown. —CBS News, 15 June 2026

Smith-Gilbert led the UGA women’s track team to yet another national championship on Saturday at the NCAA outdoor track and field championship in Eugene, Oregon, while the Bulldogs’ men’s team recorded a runner-up finish. —Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 15 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for runner-up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

Kids Definition

runner-up

noun

run·​ner-up

ˈrən-ə-ˌrəp

plural runners-up

: the competitor in a contest who finishes next to the winner