1
as in has-been
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2
as in entrant
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Recent Examples of also-ran
Instead, he feels treated as an also-ran in St. Paul’s five-way mayor’s race, which culminates with the Nov. 4 election.
—
Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Justine Lupe was kind of an also-ran in the personality Olympics that was Succession.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Despite this program's history, QB Diego Pavia and this Commodores are hardly some also-ran hoping for another miracle on Saturday night.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2025
The Brewers were an also-ran, the Tigers had an insurmountable lead in the AL Central and the Guardians had the fourth-worst record in the AL.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for also-ran
Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Justine Lupe was kind of an also-ran in the personality Olympics that was Succession.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Despite this program's history, QB Diego Pavia and this Commodores are hardly some also-ran hoping for another miracle on Saturday night.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2025
The Brewers were an also-ran, the Tigers had an insurmountable lead in the AL Central and the Guardians had the fourth-worst record in the AL.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for also-ran
Recent Examples of Synonyms for also-ran
Noun
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Ken Blake Brea Sorry to see Jerry Neuheisel leave UCLA to join traitor and coaching has-been Chip Kelly at Northwestern.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2026
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All this success begs the legitimate question of how the once-struggling reality show for has-been celebrities reinvented itself and became a pop-cultural phenomenon that any public figure would be lucky to utilize as their re-introduction into the zeitgeist.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But earlier entrants, like Omnilux, have been planning their moment for decades.—
Brennan Kilbane,
Allure,
15 Jan. 2026
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The new entrants offer players higher compensation, according to agents familiar with the deals, and greater creative control through custom looks, helping athletes build their personal brands.—
Jessica Schiffer,
Vogue,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
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John Lewis, Calleja’s stepfather, previously said that before his stepson vanished, he was denied entry to a nightclub and tried to return to his residence, according to the Manchester Evening News and ITV.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Also-ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/also-ran. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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