Plural of “runner-up”

The plural of runner-up is runners-up (some dictionaries also accept runner-ups).

Why

"Runner-up" is built from "runner" (the head noun, someone who runs or competes) plus "up," an adverbial particle indicating position or rank relative to the winner. Because "runner" is the actual person being described and "up" simply modifies where that person placed, the plural -s attaches to "runner," giving "runners-up" rather than "runner-ups."

The term likely originated in 19th-century British horse racing and competitive sport, describing a horse or competitor that finished immediately behind the winner, "up" here echoing its use in racing to describe a horse's position relative to the leader rather than any literal vertical direction. "Runner-ups" has become genuinely common in casual American sports writing and everyday speech, likely because, much like "passerby," the compound's internal structure, a noun followed by a modifying particle, isn't always obvious to speakers who treat the whole phrase as a single unanalyzed word.

Usage note

"Runners-up" remains the standard, dictionary-preferred plural in formal sports journalism, official competition results, and careful writing generally ("the runners-up received silver medals"). "Runner-ups" is extremely common in casual speech and appears often even in less formal sports writing, but "runners-up" is still the safer, more universally correct choice.

Competition rules and official results documents often distinguish a single "runner-up" from multiple "co-runners-up" when a tie occurs for second place, a formal distinction that matters for how prizes, rankings, and qualification for future events get allocated. The phrase has also broadened figuratively beyond literal competitions to describe anyone or anything that narrowly missed first place in a broader sense, including in business, politics, and casual comparisons ("the two runners-up in the search for a new headquarters location"), extending the sporting metaphor into everyday non-athletic contexts.

Common real mistakes

The most common mistake is the end-pluralized "runner-ups," a very widespread informal error that treats the compound as a single word rather than recognizing "runner" as the head noun carrying the plural. Style guides for sports journalism specifically flag this as one of the more commonly corrected plural errors in edited copy, given how frequently the word appears in competition coverage.

The wider pattern

"Runner-up" belongs to a small class of English compounds where a noun is followed by a directional or positional particle rather than a true adjective, a structure shared with far fewer other common English nouns, making it one of the clearer everyday examples, alongside "passerby," of a noun-plus-particle compound that pluralizes at the noun rather than at the very end.

Examples

• Both runners-up received a cash prize at the ceremony.
• The judges announced the runners-up before revealing the winner.
• Several runners-up from past competitions returned to compete again.
• The magazine profiled the runners-up alongside the eventual champion.
• Three runners-up were named in the regional spelling bee.
• The runners-up each took home a smaller trophy.
• Fans debated whether the runners-up deserved to win instead.
• The runners-up in both categories were announced simultaneously.
• Previous runners-up often go on to win in later seasons.
• The two runners-up shook hands with the champion after the match.
• Officials confirmed the runners-up after a recount of the votes.
• The runners-up each thanked their coaches during the interview.
• Sports commentators debated whether the runners-up were underrated all season.
• The tournament bracket listed both runners-up from the previous year.
• The pageant crowned two runners-up alongside the winner.
• Local news covered the runners-up from the regional science fair.
• The runners-up split the remaining prize money evenly.
• The two runners-up congratulated each other backstage.
• Both runners-up plan to compete again next season.
• The two runners-up were separated by less than a point.
• She interviewed both runners-up for the feature article.
• The runners-up received medals during the closing ceremony.
• Both runners-up thanked their families after the ceremony.