Meaning & use
third place
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
the position of the competitor who finishes immediately after the second, often winning a bronze medal
Grammar: Can be used with or without 'the': 'She finished in third place' or 'She took third place'.
Patterns
- finish in third place
- take third place
- come in third place
- third place in something
Our team finished in third place in the regional championship.
She ran a personal best and took third place in the 800 meters.
Third place still earns you a spot on the podium.
nounsingular
the third most important position in a competition, ranking, or ordered list
Grammar: Usually used with 'the' and often followed by 'in' or 'for': 'third place in the rankings'.
Patterns
- third place in something
- third place for someone
- hold third place
The company holds third place in the smartphone market.
After the latest poll, the candidate moved into third place.
This novel is now in third place on the bestseller list.
nouncountabletechnical
a social setting that is neither home nor work, where people meet informally
Grammar: Often used in sociology with 'the': 'the third place'. Not the same as the sports meaning.
Patterns
- a third place
- the third place
- serve as a third place
The café functions as a third place for the neighborhood.
Sociologists study how libraries act as third places.
Online forums can become a third place for isolated people.
Common combinations
- finish in third place
- He finished in third place in the marathon.
- take third place
- The choir took third place at the national festival.
- third place medal
- She proudly wore her third place medal.
- third place playoff
- The third place playoff decides who gets the bronze.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bronze
- Use 'bronze' when talking about the medal itself, not the position: 'She won bronze.'
- third
- A shorter, informal way to say the same thing in sports: 'She came in third.'
Opposites
Commonly confused: third place or third space?
third place vs third space
In architecture and sociology, a 'third space' is a hybrid cultural or physical area, not a sports ranking.
Practice
The team played well and finished ___ third place.
Choose one answer.
'In third place' is the standard phrase for a ranking. 'On' and 'at' do not fit this fixed expression, and 'by' would suggest a method, not a position.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “third place”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.