| SECONDHOME | Not the runner-up's main residence (6,4) |
| SECONDBEST | The winner is apparently inferior to the runner-up (6-4) |
| SECONDRATE | The speed of the runner-up? (6-4) |
| FIRSTPLACE | What the runner-up didn't attain |
| JESSEMCCARTNEY | Pop singer with Dream Street who was the runner-up on season 3 of The Masked Singer as the Turtle: 2 wds. |
| OLLY | The runner-up of the sixth series of The X Factor, _ Murs (4) |
| OLLYMURS | Singer who rose to fame as the runner-up on the sixth series of The X Factor (4,4) |
| LEE | Who ended as the runner-up in the men's singles at the All-england badminton championship 2025? (3) |
| POH | The runner-up on the first season of Masterchef, ___ Ling Yeow (3) |
| COULTHARD | Scottish former Formula One driver who was the runner-up in the 2001 championship, David _ (9) |
| JABEUR | Tunisian tennis player who was the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022, Ons _ (6) |
| GATES | Gareth _, singer who was the runner-up on the first series of Pop Idol (5) |
| TAYLOR | Who ended as the runner-up in the season-ending ATP Tour Final in Turin? (6) |
| SABINE | ___ Lisicki, tennis player who was the runner-up in the 2013 Wimbledon women's singles (6) |
| FELIX | Canadian tennis player; the runner-up at the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships, _ Auger-Aliassime (5) |
| THIRD | Just behind the runner-up |
| SILVER | Medal for the runner-up (6) |
| LOSER | The runner-up needs to be an awful lot closer (5) |
| ONTOP | But the runner-up fails to finish here |
| ARIE | Bachelor who withdrew his proposal and married the runner-up |
