runner-up
runner-up
One who finishes a competition ahead of the majority of competitors but does not win overall. No, Amanda beat me by a fraction of a second. I'm the runner-up. Congratulations to our second runner-up! That leaves just two contestants battling it out for the top two spots in the tournament.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
- a split second
- split second
- eyeballs out
- open up a/(one's) lead
- off the pace
- in the lead
- nip
- be nip and tuck
- tuck
- ahead of the pack