Come off second best verb phrase
To achieve second place.
Mary was a bit disappointed because she came off second best in the race.
Despite all these efforts, I still came off second best in the game show.
Out of four hundred students in the science fair, she came off second best.
1. To give ineffectual bites to someone's or something's heels.
2. In terms of rank, score, skill, etc., to be extremely close behind someone or something.
1. To put someone or something directly behind another person or object.
2. To place a lower value on someone or something, or to consider someone or something less highly or favorably than another.
3. To obtain a lower rank than someone or something in a contest or competition.