running mate
Americannoun
-
a candidate for an office linked with another and more important office, as for the vice-presidency.
-
a horse entered in a race in which another, more important, horse from the same stable, or belonging to the same owner, is run.
-
a close companion.
noun
-
a candidate for the subordinate of two linked positions, esp a candidate for the vice-presidency
-
a horse that pairs another in a team
Etymology
Origin of running mate
An Americanism dating back to 1865–70
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.
This novel about two imperfect yet soulful men, their destinies joined, found a surprising, poetic resonance in the real-life struggle between former running mates.
In a different world, he suggested, Gabbard might have been Sanders’ running mate.
From Los Angeles Times
Plainly the protests complicated Kamala Harris’s task of finding a running mate.
His running mate for deputy leader, Diana Armstrong, said she was backing him because the party needed "fresh thinking".
From BBC
Unlike presidential elections, statewide contests do not feature running mates; each candidate must be elected on their own merits.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
