1
as in has-been
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2
as in entrant
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Recent Examples of also-ran
Sullivan became as synonymous with the Penguins as any of his star players in the past 10 years, even as Pittsburgh became an also-ran, winning just one playoff round since those back-to-back titles.
—
Arthur Staple, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Gwendolyn Brooks, Chicago’s Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, wrote of life’s also-rans
Gwendolyn Brooks grew up in a South Side house full of books and was a poet from an early age, eventually becoming the first Black to win a Pulitzer Prize in poetry.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2025
The idea is not to fill the Kentucky Derby gate with also-rans.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The anticlimactic contest between two West also-rans missing three All-Stars tips off at 7 p.m. PT.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for also-ran
Arthur Staple, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Gwendolyn Brooks, Chicago’s Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, wrote of life’s also-rans
Gwendolyn Brooks grew up in a South Side house full of books and was a poet from an early age, eventually becoming the first Black to win a Pulitzer Prize in poetry.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2025
The idea is not to fill the Kentucky Derby gate with also-rans.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The anticlimactic contest between two West also-rans missing three All-Stars tips off at 7 p.m. PT.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for also-ran
Recent Examples of Synonyms for also-ran
Noun
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On June 8, Nicole Scherzinger, 46, won her first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Norma Desmond, a has-been staging a comeback in Sunset Blvd, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway adaptation of the 1950 film by the same name.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
9 June 2025
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Sun-soaked, punk rock ’70s California, a fraught family safari in Africa, a frustrated has-been and a digital future portrayed in a PowerPoint presentation show how disparate lives can affect each other.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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MarketsandMarkets sees entrepreneurial new entrants to the sector as playing a major role in accelerating innovation.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Unlike last year, when a few entrants dropped out because of the weather, this year every entrant showed up.—
Hank Beckman,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
Noun
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PwC’s recent executive playbook on agentic AI emphasizes that early adopters of AI set industry benchmarks, gain first-mover advantage, streamline operations, and create barriers to entry through deep integration.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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Enter through the front door at the left side of this porch and you will be greeted by an entry foyer and open floor plan.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Also-ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/also-ran. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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