: one that is below or after the best
: in second place
Examples of second-best in a Sentence
Noun
He won't settle for second best.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2026
And those 11 games against teams in play-in position include three against red-hot Charlotte, which, under the direction of ex-Celtics assistant Charles Lee, boasts the NBA’s second-best net rating since the start of 2026.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 Feb. 2026
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
Indiana has outscored teams by 237 points in the first half of games this season (second best nationally behind Texas Tech's 256).
—CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Lucas Digne was a distant second best.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-best
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Adjective
Roughly half of the time (49%), that particular judge awarded them their best or second-best score of the nine judges.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2026
And those 11 games against teams in play-in position include three against red-hot Charlotte, which, under the direction of ex-Celtics assistant Charles Lee, boasts the NBA’s second-best net rating since the start of 2026.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
People and governments see China as a poor second best but resent being forced to kowtow to our president.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
Indiana has outscored teams by 237 points in the first half of games this season (second best nationally behind Texas Tech's 256).
—CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Indiana has outscored teams by 237 points in the first half of games this season (second best nationally behind Texas Tech's 256).
—CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Lucas Digne was a distant second best.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-best
Cite this Entry
“Second-best.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second-best. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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