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running mate

noun

Definition of running mate

1 : companion
2 : a horse entered in a race to set the pace for a horse of the same owner or stable
3 : a candidate running for a subordinate place on a ticket especially : the candidate for vice president
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Examples of running mate in a Sentence

When John F. Kennedy ran for president, his running mate was Lyndon Johnson. inseparable running mates who first met when they were in elementary school

Recent Examples on the Web

 Mr Fernández’s running mate is Mr Macri’s predecessor, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (no relation). — The Economist, "Argentina’s beleaguered government imposes capital controls," 2 Sep. 2019 The death toll from an attack against the Kabul office of the Afghan president’s running mate and former chief of the intelligence service climbed to at least 20 people on Monday, an official said. — Washington Post, "Death toll in attack at Afghan political office rises to 20," 30 July 2019 Khris Middleton has become his running mate in recent years, providing stability as a second scoring option. — Josiah Turner, SI.com, "Six Non-Superstars Who Could Decide Next Season," 20 Aug. 2019 The trailer also showcases two of Murphy’s regular collaborators: Gwyneth Paltrow as Payton’s glam mother and Jessica Lange as the grandmother of Payton’s running mate Infinity (Set It Up‘s Zoey Deutch). — Tim Stack, EW.com, "Watch the first trailer for Ryan Murphy's Netflix comedy The Politician," 19 Aug. 2019 An attack against the Kabul office of the Afghan president’s running mate kills at least 20 people. ___ 2018 Nov. 20: A suicide bomber kills at least 50 at a gathering of Islamic scholars in Kabul. — Washington Post, "A look at deadliest attacks in Afghanistan in recent years," 18 Aug. 2019 Hickenlooper’s response to a question about gender and running mates was misconstrued by some. — Nic Garcia, The Denver Post, "John Hickenlooper’s presidential campaign is on pundits’ death watch," 1 Aug. 2019 The duo, donning black 120 Strong T-shirts and red bandannas around their necks, will be voting for Beshear, due in no small part to his choice of running mate. — Mandy Mclaren, The Courier-Journal, "'We're not backing down': Teachers a screaming force at Fancy Farm, aim ire at Bevin," 3 Aug. 2019 The two players remain on far different timelines, and new president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas seems poised to land a higher-ceiling running mate in the coming seasons. — Michael Shapiro, SI.com, "Which NBA Stars Could Still be Dealt Following a Seismic Summer?," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'running mate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of running mate

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for running mate

running mate

noun

English Language Learners Definition of running mate

chiefly US : the person who runs with someone in an election (such as an election to choose a new president) and who is given the less important position (such as vice president) if they are elected

See the full definition for running mate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with running mate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for running mate

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