also-ran

noun

Definition of also-rannext
1
as in has-been

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in entrant

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Dissimilar Words

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 The Warriors might be able to keep up with the Timberwolves, Suns, Lakers, or even the Nuggets, but those are also-rans, too. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 22 May 2026 Smalley and Schmid began the day atop the tournament leaderboard and were now ending as also-rans. — Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 18 May 2026 Eric Swalwell’s exit from the race has presented an opportunity for the also-ran candidates to surge into contention. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 The thinktank session was held at the rambling 40-acre Mettawa estate of another presidential also-ran, Adlai Stevenson II. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for also-ran
Recent Examples of Synonyms for also-ran
  1. has-been
  2. entrant
  3. entry
Noun
  • The manuscript Wayne read to us that night chronicled his involvement with Gloria Swanson, the towering star of Hollywood’s Golden Age who enjoyed latter-day acclaim in 1950 playing a delusional has-been in Sunset Boulevard.
    — Mike Hogan, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That career move quickly fizzled, leaving a sloppy drunk has-been in the debris.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of has-been
Noun
  • Competitive grants should support strong alternatives, including partnerships with effective schools and programs serving midcareer entrants.
    — Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • And secondly, since investors are now recognizing the worsening launch crisis that Ars has been writing about for months, there is apparently capital to be raised for new entrants into the medium-lift launch market.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of entrant
Noun
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected accusations that Israel has been delaying the entry of winter supplies into the Gaza Strip as severe rains flood makeshift tents, worsening conditions in the enclave this week.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Further in the past, the rocky promontory on which the Westin sits was a naval installation, sited there because of its strategic location at the entry to a natural harbor.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of entry

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also-ran
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Cite this Entry

“Also-ran.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/also-ran. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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