Also-ran (Noun)
Meaning
A contestant who loses the contest.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- After investing heavily in his presidential campaign, Johnson ended up being an also-ran, barely garnering 2% of the vote.
- In her first marathon, Rachel trained diligently but was relegated to also-ran status when she faltered at mile 20.
- Mark thought he was a shoo-in for the school council seat, but when the results came in, he was merely an also-ran, third behind Emily and Ben.
- James invested two years in creating an innovative product, only to find his entry becoming an also-ran at the Tech Innovation Awards.
- Tim believed he was poised for stardom with his role in the Hollywood film, but critics wrote him off as just another also-ran among Hollywood up-and-comers.