frontrunner

British

/ ˈfrʌntˌrʌnə /

noun

informal the leader or a favoured contestant in a race, election, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The precedent from June 1989, when Khamenei himself emerged as supreme leader despite not being widely viewed as a frontrunner, is a reminder that the outcome can defy expectations.

From BBC

In the individual categories, Feinberg said Timothee Chalamet is a clear frontrunner for best actor honors for his portrayal of an obsessive 1950s table tennis star in "Marty Supreme."

From Barron's

On a remote island 300 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, Norway's Andøya Spaceport, is now the frontrunner.

From BBC

There were plenty of tears - and also a major upset - as Timothée Chalamet, the frontrunner to win best actor, lost out to Robert Aramayo.

From BBC

Aramayo, who starred in I Swear, took the trophy away from frontrunner Timothée Chalamet, who seemed unstoppable heading into the awards at the Royal Festival Hall.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023