“Republican frontrunner Donald Trump used a campaign stop in Michigan on Monday to make astonishingly sexist attacks against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton,” the left-leaning ThinkProgress wrote.
Source: wiktionary
Frontrunner
Synonyms for "frontrunner" (9 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (2)
Strong matches (3)
Noun(3 words)
Related words (4)
Noun(4 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: benchmark, favorite, leader, leading candidate, pacesetter.
- Sentence evidence is available for frontrunner, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "frontrunner".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "frontrunner"
Keep "frontrunner" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "frontrunner" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "frontrunner", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "frontrunner" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesMore specific
9 entriesdominant designlead runnerleading research grouplocal frontrunnermajor institutemarket leaderpace-setterparty frontrunnerpresidential frontrunner
Collocations
6 entriesfrontrunner in pollsfrontrunner positionfrontrunner statusleading frontrunnermarket frontrunnerpolitical frontrunner
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
1 entriesSample sentences
4 total sentences available.
The Conservative leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, has rejected “handouts” as a way of helping people affected by the cost of living crisis.
Source: wiktionary
In 2020, Edward Pentin, the senior Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Register, released a book on the topic, titled "The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates." In the book, Pentin listed 19 cardinals he considered to be papabile, or "popeable" frontrunners.
Source: wiktionary
But as the old papal election saying goes: “He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal”, because few of those who are frontrunners at the start make it through the successive rounds of voting.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "frontrunner"?
Closest matches include benchmark, favorite, leader, leading candidate, pacesetter.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "frontrunner"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.