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

The Dominican model was crowned Miss Dominican Republic in 2021 and finished as a second runner-up at Miss Universe 2022. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Consider the player who started the eligibility litigation, former Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Netflix led all distributors with 17 nominations, nearly double the nine earned by runner-up Neon. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Singhal was previously a runner-up in the Circular Design Challenge in 2021. — Sujata Assomull, Vogue, 13 Oct. 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