out of the running
Not a contender
No longer a contender or candidate for something.
The phrase comes from racing—a horse out of the running has no chance of winning.
It applies to any competition or selection: After the interview disaster, she knew she was out of the running for the job.
The opposite, in the running, means still being considered.
- lagPeriod of falling behind
- outpacedExceeded in speed
- disqualifiedDeclared unfit to compete
- eliminatedRemoved from consideration
- defeatVictory over another
noncompetitive · unsuccessful · overtaken · outsider · bypassed · faltering · underdog · irrelevant · also-ran · overlooked · scratched · sidelined · left behind · stumble · faded away · excluded · struggling · fell short
- Competition idiomslevel playing field, down to the wire, neck and neck, win hands down, come from behind
- racing termsbackstretch, checkered flag, daily double, dead heat, exacta
competitive viability
out of the runningin the running
Actively being considered
in contention · competitive · in the hunt · in play · going strong
running, runner, runners, runny, outrun, outruns, outran, outrunning