first string
The starting lineup
First string refers to the top players on a sports team—those who start games and play the most.
The term comes from archery, where a bowman's primary bowstring was his best and most reliable.
By extension, first string describes anyone or anything that represents the highest level of quality or importance: The company sent its first-string negotiators to close the deal.
Primary school squad
- startersThings that initiate
- lineupOrdered list of participants
- rotationTurning on an axis
- squadSmall working group
roster · bench · reserves · depth chart · starting five · A-team · regulars · key players
varsity
Primary school squad
squad · roster · bench · reserves · depth chart · starting five · A-team · regulars · key players · core
- sports termssoccer, football, basketball, tennis, golf
- sports starsall-stars, elite athletes, elite players, MVPs, superstars
- team designationsred team, blue team, varsity, junior varsity, home team
- top performersace, all-star, champ, elite, expert
- lineupsstarting lineup, police lineup, batting order, roster, suspect lineup
- starting lineupsstarters, starting five, starting eleven
first stringsecond string
Substitute players, not starters
bench · reserves · substitutes · backup · bench warmers
first stringsecond-rate
Below acceptable standards
minor league · bush league · inferior · also-rans · second fiddle
first stringsecond-rate
Below acceptable standards
inferior · B-list · minor league · second-tier · bottom-tier
first, string, firstly, strings, stringed, stringing, stringy, stringer