also-ran

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of also-ran Ah, yes, that most important of all RuPaul’s Drag Race challenges that separates the contenders from the also-rans, the culturally literate from the basics. Chris Feil, Vulture, 4 July 2025 Cuomo has a lead in the polls, but ranked choice balloting could vault Mamdani to victory if enough supporters of also-rans give him second-place status. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 17 June 2025 Red Bull Salzburg have gone from perennial champions to relative also-rans in Austria. Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 June 2025 Tacoma is Seattle’s industrial flunky, the also-ran, the perennial embarrassment. Caroline Fraser june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for also-ran
Recent Examples of Synonyms for also-ran
Noun
  • And as alcoholic has-been Morris, Matthau was fantastically slovenly and cynical, an anti–role model for the ages.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025
  • Sonny strides onto the track with unruffled cool—a Pitt signature—and is laconic enough to endure a series of press conferences at which journalists are quick to label him a has-been.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Several experts made mention of the latter point, telling Newsweek that graduates may be less of an exception than a sign of a widespread employment difficulties, which historically fall hardest on the newer entrants trying to get a foothold.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Curiously, just seven of the entrants had won their domestic league title the previous season.
    Will Jeanes, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Conversely, people who live in an arid climate might find that dust builds up quickly, especially around doorways and windows, which are common entry points for outside dirt, requiring more frequent sweeping.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Of course, there remains a huge barrier to entry for the San Jose Sharks sophomore.
    Chris Johnston, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Also-ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/also-ran. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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