front runner

• frontrunner, front-runner

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

front runner (plural front runners)

1. (idiomatic) Any of the most likely winners in a contest, election, etc.
   • 1955 May 9, “Sport: First-Division Tigers”, in Time‎:

     [T]he American League pennant did not shape up as much of a race. There were the Indians and the Yankees, front runners as usual.

   • 2013 August 25, Georgi Kantchev, “World Expositions Can Benefit or Haunt Host Cities”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Dubai, which would be the first host of a world’s fair in the Middle East, has emerged as the front-runner, offering the most financial and governmental support.

   • 2022 August 6, Geneva Abdul, “Liz Truss rejects ‘handouts’ as way to tackle cost of living crisis”, in The Guardian‎:

     The Conservative leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, has rejected “handouts” as a way of helping people affected by the cost of living crisis.

2. (finance, business) One who engages in front running.

• front-run

• front running