running mate

noun

1
2
: a horse entered in a race to set the pace for a horse of the same owner or stable
3
: a candidate running for a subordinate place on a ticket
especially : the candidate for vice president

Examples of running mate in a Sentence

When John F. Kennedy ran for president, his running mate was Lyndon Johnson. inseparable running mates who first met when they were in elementary school
Recent Examples on the Web Here’s a roundup of each of the top three presidential candidates’ tactics: Anies Baswedan, who is 54 (running mate: Muhaimin Iskandar, 57), has been using TikTok live streams to interact with potential voters. Rachel Wilson, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 Within days of the decision, Prabowo announced Widodo’s son as his running mate. Winda Charmila, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024 Most candidates don't announce a running mate until the official nominating conventions are held in the summer, and Trump is expected to follow that precedent. Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2024 Topline Former President Donald Trump signaled Tuesday several high-profile Republicans and at least one former Democratic lawmaker are part of a shortlist to be his running mate for the 2024 election, during a Fox News town hall broadcast. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, 72, presented himself as an heir to immensely popular sitting President Joko Widodo, whose son was his running mate. Niniek Karmini and Edna Tariganthe Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 15 Feb. 2024 The endorsement will continue fueling speculation that the former president could choose the senator as his running mate. Caitlin Huey-Burns, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2024 Some have floated her as a running mate for Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. CBS News, 11 Oct. 2023 His rise, with the help of a running mate who is the son of the popular departing president, Joko Widodo, has alarmed millions of Indonesians who still remember the brutal and kleptocratic rule of Suharto, Mr. Prabowo’s former boss and father-in-law. Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'running mate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of running mate was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near running mate

Cite this Entry

“Running mate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/running%20mate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

running mate

noun
: a candidate running for a lesser office (as vice president) who is on the same ticket with the candidate for the top office
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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