front-runner
noun
front-run·ner
ˈfrənt-ˌrə-nər 
1
: a contestant who runs best when in the lead
2
: a leading contestant in or as if in a rivalry or competition
a political front-runner
Examples of front-runner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What’s to be sorted out: The No. 4 and No. 5 jobs; Horton and Trader could be front-runners, presuming Brown beats them out for the No. 3 job.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2024
In the race for the Democratic nomination, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, is widely considered the likely front-runner, facing Detroit actor Hill Harper and Dearborn businessman Nasser Beydoun.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 26 Apr. 2024
Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, is an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
All three lead the state in their event and Cathedral’s Catholic’s Vince Atilano, the boys’ 300-meter hurdle front-runner, opted to compete in the 400-meter hurdles and finished second in 53.63, just as El Capitan’s Jonathan Tseko-Biffle was runner-up in the 300s at 37.77.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The case study of what went right and wrong at those two giant corporations offers a master class in business strategy not just for today’s front-runners at the likes of Google, Open AI, Amazon, and elsewhere—but also for any Fortune 500 leader hoping to survive and thrive in the coming decade.
—Bygeoff Colvin, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024
Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans not to give President Joe Biden a legislative victory ahead of the elections, and many Republicans, including Kari Lake, the GOP front-runner in the race for Sinema’s seat, followed his cue.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
No reliable polling has identified a front-runner in the race; Delaney and Vogel lead in fundraising.
—Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Two high-ranking officials on separate teams — one from each conference — believe Lee is a lead candidate and front-runner to be Clifford’s successor.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2024
In the race for the Democratic nomination, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, is widely considered the likely front-runner, facing Detroit actor Hill Harper and Dearborn businessman Nasser Beydoun.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 26 Apr. 2024
Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, is an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
All three lead the state in their event and Cathedral’s Catholic’s Vince Atilano, the boys’ 300-meter hurdle front-runner, opted to compete in the 400-meter hurdles and finished second in 53.63, just as El Capitan’s Jonathan Tseko-Biffle was runner-up in the 300s at 37.77.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The case study of what went right and wrong at those two giant corporations offers a master class in business strategy not just for today’s front-runners at the likes of Google, Open AI, Amazon, and elsewhere—but also for any Fortune 500 leader hoping to survive and thrive in the coming decade.
—Bygeoff Colvin, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024
Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans not to give President Joe Biden a legislative victory ahead of the elections, and many Republicans, including Kari Lake, the GOP front-runner in the race for Sinema’s seat, followed his cue.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
No reliable polling has identified a front-runner in the race; Delaney and Vogel lead in fundraising.
—Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Two high-ranking officials on separate teams — one from each conference — believe Lee is a lead candidate and front-runner to be Clifford’s successor.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'front-runner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Front-runner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/front-runner. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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