as in top banana
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Recent Examples of second banana
Towns might be better off as a second banana than a No. 1 option anyway.
—
Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
Riley emerges as an extremely realistic teenage character, one who probably deserves better than being the second banana to a bunch of muppety emotions.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 14 June 2024
First introduced in the ’60s, the Teen Titans are a group of superpowered young ‘uns traditionally led by Batman’s second banana Robin, fighting alongside heroes like Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024
Just as Lone Ranger needed Tonto, so many pop culture icons wouldn't have half their appeal without these top-notch second bananas — see why Chewbacca, Turtle, Willow, and more made the cut.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for second banana
Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
Riley emerges as an extremely realistic teenage character, one who probably deserves better than being the second banana to a bunch of muppety emotions.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 14 June 2024
First introduced in the ’60s, the Teen Titans are a group of superpowered young ‘uns traditionally led by Batman’s second banana Robin, fighting alongside heroes like Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024
Just as Lone Ranger needed Tonto, so many pop culture icons wouldn't have half their appeal without these top-notch second bananas — see why Chewbacca, Turtle, Willow, and more made the cut.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for second banana
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second banana
Noun
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In Planet of the Apes and for some reason Better Man, these apes are first on the call sheet, Chimps in a Leading Role, top banana.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 Jan. 2025
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So which restaurant did Yelp readers declare top banana?—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2022
Noun
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Bernabe caught the attention of Twitter gagman and Banana Capital founder Turner Novak, who’s made a name for himself by entwining industry analysis with creative memes on social media.—
Nina Wolpow,
Forbes,
23 Sep. 2021
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Indeed, many New Yorker artists once relied on gagmen.—
Thomas Vinciguerra,
WSJ,
16 Nov. 2018
Noun
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For Stalter, a stand-up comedian who became a go-to scene stealer on Hacks, Too Much proved to be an unexpected gift from Dunham, who wrote the female protagonist with Stalter’s voice in mind after discovering her videos on TikTok.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
12 July 2025
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If nothing else, the comedians remain united by a common goal.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Noun
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In the TikTok video Tiffany shared, the moment the two dogs met again involved some sniffs, playful roughhousing and plenty of tail wags.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 June 2025
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Our portion of the state was so ignored that some of the local wags were calling for a new state called Forgottonia.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His grandfather Robert Benchley, a humorist, was a founder of the Algonquin Round Table, which included Dorothy Parker and other literary giants.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
19 June 2025
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Going Too Far by Tony Hendra (1987) $30 British humorist, improv performer, This Is Spinal Tap co-star, and National Lampoon veteran Tony Hendra published Going Too Far in 1987.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Which is to say the title of Portuguese director João Rosas‘ debut feature isn’t at all ironic: This droll, delightful romantic comedy is an ode to the good times that can be had amid and around heartache, and the healing that eventually comes out of that very conflict.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
10 July 2025
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There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second banana.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second%20banana. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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