play second fiddle

phrase

: to take a subordinate position

Examples of play second fiddle in a Sentence

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Dembele played second fiddle to Mbappe and yet still scored six goals, placing him joint-fifth on the Golden Boot list with a total that would have won him the award in six of the past eight tournaments. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Royal purple shouldn’t have to play second fiddle to a competing nail color. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 18 July 2026 According to various reports, the spotlight will likely fall on the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup of book-style devices while the simpler Galaxy Z Flip 8 plays second fiddle this time around. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026

Rhymes for play second fiddle

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playscript
play second fiddle
playshoe
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Cite this Entry

“Play second fiddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20second%20fiddle. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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