runner-up

[ ruhn-er-uhp ]
/ ˈrʌn ərˈʌp /

noun, plural run·ners-up.

the competitor, player, or team finishing in second place, as in a race, contest, or tournament.
runners-up, the competitors who do not win a contest but who place ahead of the majority of the contestants and share in prizes or honors, as those who place second, third, and fourth, or in the top ten.

Origin of runner-up

First recorded in 1835–45

Example sentences from the Web for runner-up

British Dictionary definitions for runner-up

runner-up

noun plural runners-up

a contestant finishing a race or competition in second place