front runner
Likely to win
A front runner is the leader in a race or competition—originally horse racing, now mostly political campaigns and other contests decided by popular choice.
The term implies a position that can change: She's the front runner for the nomination, but the primaries haven't started.
Front-runner status attracts scrutiny and attacks from trailing candidates.
One competing seriously
- frontrunnerLeading candidate or competitor
- favoriteMost liked option
- odds-onLikely to win
- pace-setterOne who establishes speed
probable · likely · preferred · top pick · presumptive · shoo-in · favored · challenger
Person seeking selection
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- primaryChief in importance
- nomineeOne proposed for position
- caucusParty selection meeting
incumbent · polling · endorsement · delegate · ballot · electorate · stump · swing state
First to forge ahead
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- innovatorCreator of new methods
- pathfinderOne who discovers routes
- groundbreakerInnovator, first to act
early adopter · vanguard · precursor · trendsetter · cutting-edge · avant-garde · first mover · disruptor
One who establishes speed
- sprinterShort-distance racing specialist
- marathonerRacer of 26.2 miles
- jockeyProfessional race rider
- thoroughbredOf pure ancestral line
track · starting gate · finish line · lap · heats · splits · checkpoint · lead pack
contender
One competing seriously
- frontrunnerLeading candidate or competitor
- favoriteMost liked option
- odds-onLikely to win
pace-setter · probable · likely · preferred · top pick · presumptive · shoo-in · favored · challenger · qualifier
candidate
Person seeking selection
caucus · incumbent · polling · endorsement · delegate · ballot · electorate · stump · swing state · superdelegate
trailblazer
First to forge ahead
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- innovatorCreator of new methods
- pathfinderOne who discovers routes
groundbreaker · early adopter · vanguard · precursor · trendsetter · cutting-edge · avant-garde · first mover · disruptor · visionary
pace-setter
One who establishes speed
- sprinterShort-distance racing specialist
- marathonerRacer of 26.2 miles
- jockeyProfessional race rider
thoroughbred · track · starting gate · finish line · lap · heats · splits · checkpoint · lead pack · pole position
- rankingsrankings, first, college rankings, second, third
- competitioncompete, competitor, contender, winner, sports
- advantagesedge, leverage, upper hand, leg up, head start
- candidatescandidate, candidates, nominee, nominees, contender
- Competition idiomslevel playing field, down to the wire, neck and neck, win hands down, come from behind
- competition metaphorslevel playing field, race to the bottom, win-win, rat race, underdog
front runnerunderdog
Presumed loser beforehand
long shot · dark horse · also-ran · bottom dweller · straggler
front runnerunderdog
Presumed loser beforehand
long shot · dark horse · outside chance · Cinderella story · write-off
front, runner, upfront, affront, forefront, confrontation, front-runner, frontmost, front-runners