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
Photograph: Robert Gauthier/Getty Images Anything could happen the night of the 2025 Oscars—with key races, like Best Picture, lacking formidable front-runners going into the 97th Academy Awards.
—
Reece Rogers, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2025
After months of film festivals, Oscar punditry and glitzy awards shows, there's no clear front-runner yet and the lead acting races are still up in the air, which is honestly kind of nice.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
The release marks the next evolution of OpenAI's flagship model lineage that has been an industry front-runner since the start of the generative-AI boom.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
There really was no front-runner until a couple of weeks ago, where within the course of 24 hours Anora emerged with a triple crown of Critics Choice, PGA and DGA wins — all three among the most previously reliable indicators of where Oscar wins are blowing.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
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Reece Rogers, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2025
After months of film festivals, Oscar punditry and glitzy awards shows, there's no clear front-runner yet and the lead acting races are still up in the air, which is honestly kind of nice.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
The release marks the next evolution of OpenAI's flagship model lineage that has been an industry front-runner since the start of the generative-AI boom.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
There really was no front-runner until a couple of weeks ago, where within the course of 24 hours Anora emerged with a triple crown of Critics Choice, PGA and DGA wins — all three among the most previously reliable indicators of where Oscar wins are blowing.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for front-runner
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Cite this Entry
“Front-runner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/front-runner. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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