winner-take-all
No consolation prizes
Winner-take-all describes a system where the top finisher receives the entire prize or benefit, with nothing for second place.
In elections, winner-take-all means the candidate with the most votes gets all available seats or electoral votes: Most U.S. states use winner-take-all allocation of electoral votes.
The phrase also describes competitive situations where success is binary—you either win everything or get nothing.
Balanced gains and losses
- knockoutIncapacitating final blow
- eliminationAct of removing entirely
- bracketSupport or category
- playoffsChampionship elimination series
tournament · championship · finals · semifinals · showdown · head-to-head · matchup · decisive
Brush clean with broom
- landslideMass of earth falling
- triumphResounding, celebrated victory
- conquestDefeating and seizing control
- crownSovereign's ornamental headpiece
trophy · glory · dominance · blowout · shutout · rout · decisive · uncontested
Accumulated gambling prize
- gambleStake on uncertain outcome
- stakesPosts or wagers
- payoutMoney distributed to recipient
- lump-sumEntire amount together
prize · pot · bonanza · lottery · sweepstakes · all-or-nothing · risk · reward
Dominant group's control
- dominanceSuperior influence over others
- consolidationCombining into unified whole
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
- oligopolyFew firms dominate market
cartel · monopolize · conglomerate · antitrust · predatory · acquisition · buyout · squeeze-out
Location of armed combat
- pluralityLargest share among several
- majorityOver half of total
- delegatesChosen representatives or assigns
- electorsThose qualified to vote
district · constituency · gerrymandering · redistricting · spoiler · third-party · landslide · mandate
Measurable difference between things
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
- top-heavyDisproportionately weighted above
- stratificationDivision into distinct levels
- hoardingExcessive accumulation of goods
accumulation · superstar · disproportionate · skewed · imbalanced · polarization · bifurcation · meritocracy
zero-sum
Balanced gains and losses
- knockoutIncapacitating final blow
- eliminationAct of removing entirely
- bracketSupport or category
playoffs · tournament · championship · finals · semifinals · showdown · head-to-head · matchup · decisive · clinch
sweep
Brush clean with broom
- landslideMass of earth falling
- triumphResounding, celebrated victory
- conquestDefeating and seizing control
crown · trophy · glory · dominance · blowout · shutout · rout · decisive · uncontested · undisputed
jackpot
Accumulated gambling prize
lump-sum · prize · pot · bonanza · lottery · sweepstakes · all-or-nothing · risk · reward · betting
hegemony
Dominant group's control
- dominanceSuperior influence over others
- consolidationCombining into unified whole
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
oligopoly · cartel · monopolize · conglomerate · antitrust · predatory · acquisition · buyout · squeeze-out
battleground
Location of armed combat
- pluralityLargest share among several
- majorityOver half of total
- delegatesChosen representatives or assigns
electors · district · constituency · gerrymandering · redistricting · spoiler · third-party · landslide · mandate · proportional
disparity
Measurable difference between things
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
- top-heavyDisproportionately weighted above
- stratificationDivision into distinct levels
hoarding · accumulation · superstar · disproportionate · skewed · imbalanced · polarization · bifurcation · meritocracy · mobility
- Decisive Momentsfinal round, tiebreaker, sudden death, overtime, gold medal match
- competition typesfierce, intense, cutthroat, heated, friendly
- 2000 ElectionFlorida recount, hanging chads, Bush v. Gore, Al Gore, George W. Bush
- primariesprimary election, primary elections, primaries, open primaries, primary ballot
- network effectscritical mass, virality, nodes, connections, lock-in
- Shootoutspenalty shootout, gunfight, firefight, gun battle, duel
winner-take-allproportional representation
Seats allocated by vote share
proportional · power-sharing · profit-sharing · ranked-choice voting · coalition government
winner-take-allcollaborative
Involving shared effort
cooperative · win-win · non-zero-sum · egalitarian · inclusive
take, winner, winning, taken, windfall, winners, winnable, winner-takes-all