front-runners
Those ahead currently
Front-runners are the candidates or competitors leading a race or contest: The front-runners have pulled away from the pack.
In politics, the term often describes those polling highest before an election: She emerged as one of the front-runners for the nomination.
A front-runner may also be someone who performs best when already winning—or who only supports likely winners.
Those seeking to win
- favoritesMost preferred choices
- challengersThose who compete against
- finalistsLast competitors standing
- semifinalistsThose nearing championship round
qualifiers · leaders · pacers · frontrunners · competitors · rivals · champions · medalists
Those who open territory
- innovatorsCreators of novel things
- pathfindersThose who discover routes
- groundbreakersInnovators who start trends
- trendsettersThose who initiate popular styles
vanguards · forerunners · pacesetters · torchbearers · originators · visionaries · precursors · avant-garde
contenders
Those seeking to win
- favoritesMost preferred choices
- challengersThose who compete against
- finalistsLast competitors standing
semifinalists · qualifiers · leaders · pacers · frontrunners · competitors · rivals · champions · medalists · athletes
trailblazers
Those who open territory
- innovatorsCreators of novel things
- pathfindersThose who discover routes
- groundbreakersInnovators who start trends
trendsetters · vanguards · forerunners · pacesetters · torchbearers · originators · visionaries · precursors · avant-garde · disruptors
- candidatescandidate, candidates, nominee, nominees, contender
- competitorscompetitor, contestant, competitors, rivals, opponents
- VIPscelebrities, superstars, head of state, stars, legend
front-runnersunderdogs
Competitors expected to fail
long shots · also-rans · no-hopers · stragglers · dark horses
front-runnerslong shots
Unlikely to succeed
underdogs · outside chances · surprises · unknowns · write-offs
front, runner, running, foremost, affront, fronts, frontal, frontage, foreseeable