How to Use second in a Sentence

second

1 of 4 adjective
  • The chair needs a second coat of paint.
  • We sat in the second row.
  • B is the second letter in the alphabet.
  • That's the second time I've seen him today.
  • Chocolate is my first choice; vanilla is my second choice.
  • She plays second violin in the city orchestra.
  • Ullman was then brought out as the second surprise guest of the night.
    Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2024
  • This marks the second time this year that five planets will align.
    Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY, 15 June 2023
  • Moore jumped up and snatched the ball out of the air for his second touchdown of the half in just over 15 minutes of play.
    Scott Thompson, Fox News, 6 Oct. 2023
  • Even 23 years later, people still play the second game by the droves.
    Gene Park, Washington Post, 21 July 2023
  • The second article named Fong as the source of the documents.
    Tracy Wang, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2023
  • The second prong, is getting girls involved at a young age.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2023
  • Lamb, a two-time Pro Bowler, is looking for his second 100-yard game of the season.
    Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023
  • Montgomery had 13 turnovers, but only three in the second half.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2024
  • So, the first cat indeed dies, but the second (perhaps real) cat lives.
    James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2023
  • If the leaves aren’t thoroughly mulched, make a second pass over the area, mowing in rows that are 90 degrees to the first rows.
    Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 10 July 2023
  • That continues to be a concern for some as he is set to be sworn in to his second term on June 1.
    Megan Janetsky The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2024
  • This is the second time in her career that Gauff is headed to the fourth round at this tournament.
    Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 25 Mar. 2024
  • And the other officer was on their second straight shift, the person said.
    Mike Balsamo, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2023
  • Hunter came back to play after Blackburn's hit and saw action on both sides of the ball through the second quarter.
    Julianne McShane, NBC News, 19 Sep. 2023
  • This is the second serious injury in as many weeks to a key member of the Browns offense.
    Dan Labbe, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
  • As on the Global 200, the song is only the second this year to begin atop Global Excl.
    Gary Trust, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2023
  • The third baseman fired to Stovall at second and his relay was late at first base.
    Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 6 Apr. 2024
  • For the second time this season, the Purdue men's basketball team was beaten on the road when ranked No. 1 in the country.
    Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Jan. 2024
  • Due to poor weather, Smith has had a lot of time to work hard in practice this fall Case played its second game on Tuesday.
    Kat Cornetta, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2023
  • In second place was Churchill, Canada, which had a 110 percent growth in searches.
    Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2024
  • Blinken is due to return to Israel on Monday for his second visit in a week.
    WSJ, 16 Oct. 2023
  • That second litter was then carried down to a parking lot.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2023
  • Her first conviction was overturned on appeal, leading to a second trial that ended in a mistrial in 2004 due to a hung jury.
    Megan McCluskey, TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
  • The fist-sized fossils are second only in girth and width to those of Tintanoboa, another giant snake estimated to have lived about 58 million years ago in what is now present-day Colombia.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
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second

2 of 4 noun
  • Hold for up to 40 seconds, then switch to the other side.
    Brett Williams, Men's Health, 18 May 2023
  • Nash had a 63-yard punt return for a score in the first quarter and added an 11-yard TD run in the second.
    BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Chad Wallach hit a solo homer in the second for the Angels.
    Stephen Hawkins, ajc, 16 June 2023
  • With the win, the Thorns move into second in their group with six points through four matches.
    oregonlive, 21 July 2023
  • Within seconds, the agent has the answer to the question appear on their screen.
    Shep Hyken, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
  • Process sour cream, lime juice, 1 cup of the cilantro and ¼ teaspoon each of the garlic and salt in a blender until smooth, about 20 seconds.
    Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023
  • The Americans went on to win that world title, their second in a row.
    Claire Fahy, New York Times, 9 July 2023
  • Avoid fumbling with bottles and pop corks in just a few seconds.
    Samantha Booth, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2023
  • Within 24 seconds, the 4.4-magnitude hit in the same area.
    Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
  • The second is that this fava has nothing to do with fava beans.
    Luke Pyenson, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2023
  • And the final goal came with 35 seconds left and was set up by sophomore Tyson Dyck.
    Journal Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2024
  • With the press of a button, the Ororo jacket heats up within 54 seconds.
    Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 26 Jan. 2024
  • The game that ended 71-69 was a nail-biter with a one-point margin until the final seconds.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
  • Simply point and shoot, and a Polaroid-style photo will come out of the camera in just a few seconds.
    Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Four people per team must eat all 42 tacos in less than four minutes and 20 seconds.
    Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2024
  • Calder tries to reason with her softly, that perhaps the shot will work for 15 or 20 seconds of the teaser.
    Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2023
  • Minnesota had a chance to tie the game with a Naz Reid 3 with 10.0 seconds remaining.
    Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024
  • The Tritons rank second in the Big West in field goal percentage defense (41.1).
    Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Dec. 2023
  • Locate this button and press it down for a few seconds to engage.
    Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 21 July 2023
  • But that would still take four hours — in the hope that Israel’s Iron Dome would cope with a barrage of rockets that would take 90 seconds to reach the city.
    Alexander Smith, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2023
  • Video shows Ricci dropping his keys and a to-go drink and, in seconds, pulling a handgun from his waist and shooting as the men ran away.
    Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
  • The Hurricanes closed to within six points with 38 seconds left in the game on a Jaida Patrick three-pointer.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024
  • In addition to the ten functions, there are 16 programs that can be set in a matter of seconds.
    Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2023
  • Jordan allegedly fired two shots, one that killed Mizell and a second that hit the other person in the leg.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2024
  • The first counter sorted through a box and recorded a number before passing it to the second for a recount.
    Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 21 July 2023
  • One precinct in nearby Byram had no ballots for two hours while a second had just 25 to 30 ballots and a long line of voters, the group said.
    Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2023
  • The town hall is Trump's second of the 2024 primary election season.
    Jack Birle, Washington Examiner, 1 June 2023
  • My only quibble is that any adjustments to the EQ invoke a message that stays on the screen for up to three seconds while the app makes the changes.
    PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024
  • Feel free to help yourself to seconds (or even thirds) this Thanksgiving.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
  • Dry and wet leaves were removed from the grass and garden in 25 seconds or less, while leaves were cleared from concrete in just six seconds.
    Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 10 July 2023
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second

3 of 4 adverb
  • That gives the Wings a 5% chance to pick first overall in June's draft, and 5.4% chance to pick second.
    Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 14 Apr. 2023
  • The goal, of course, is to sing second, as the winning team’s song is performed last.
    Erick Smith, USA TODAY, 29 Aug. 2023
  • With one out, Edouard Julien hit a liner off the left-field wall and tried to take second.
    Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2023
  • The venue purports to be the tallest and second largest bar by square footage on Lower Broadway.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2024
  • There are long-term concerns about the loss of the reservoir, the second largest in Ukraine at 2155 square kilometers.
    Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 9 June 2023
  • Over his two-plus seasons at second, he’s saved 28 runs.
    Evan Grant, Dallas News, 16 May 2023
  • The more frames per second required, the harder time a camera will have in lower light.
    Andrew Williams, WIRED, 4 Feb. 2024
  • Chula Vista is the second largest city in the region and is home to one of the largest populations of young people.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2023
  • Other times, Rojas has played second to free up a spot at third.
    The Arizona Republic, 8 June 2023
  • The convertible needed just 0.1 second longer to reach 60 mph in our testing.
    Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 28 Aug. 2023
  • The second biggest group of contributors to Schiff have been lawyers and law firms, at $1.7 million.
    David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024
  • Matt McLain, batting second in his major league debut, showed off his speed in the third inning.
    Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 16 May 2023
  • Cineworld owns the Regal cinema chain and is the second largest movie theater operator in the world.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 June 2023
  • Everett’s Blake Rombusch then stole second to further jam up the right-hander.
    oregonlive, 16 Apr. 2023
  • His release point of 6.96 feet ranks second in the majors and is nearly a foot higher than league average.
    Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2023
  • The Capitals finished second and fourth in the division and were ousted in the first round during his first two seasons.
    Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2023
  • With no outs in the seventh, Ezequiel Duran wandered too far off second on Marcus Semien’s deep fly to center field.
    Evan Grant, Dallas News, 28 Aug. 2023
  • Banking regulators said the second largest bank in the US harmed hundreds of thousands of people over the course of several years.
    Julia Malleck, Quartz, 11 July 2023
  • Goldman Sachs predicted in 2018 that Japan could become one of the largest casino markets in Asia, second only to Macao.
    Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2023
  • Comedy sometimes comes second to make the infotainment, the sugar on the medicine.
    Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2023
  • Gabriel Geay of Tanzania finished second, and Kipruto was third.
    Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2023
  • One of the victims, Michael Jenkins, second from right, during a news conference in February.
    Suryatapa Bhattacharya, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2023
  • Metro Phoenix has emerged as the nation’s second largest hub of data centers, according to a recent study by Cushman & Wakefield.
    The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024
  • The bank is the second largest in the United States, serving 68 million individuals and small businesses.
    Matt Egan, CNN, 11 July 2023
  • In Bavaria, the AfD came second in the October elections, giving it the right to appoint two honorary judges to the southern state’s constitutional court.
    Erika Solomon, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
  • Ariel Carlson drops a sacrifice bunt, McGowan to second.
    oregonlive, 12 May 2023
  • But after an early burst of activity, growth in the world’s second largest economy appears to be stalling.
    Laura He, CNN, 9 June 2023
  • The Badgers are ranked second in the preseason poll, which was announced Tuesday afternoon.
    Mark Stewart, Journal Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2023
  • Sacred Heart Cathedral senior Jonah Lee took second in the 100 breaststroke.
    Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 May 2023
  • And second, find new avenues of business growth in a decarbonized economy.
    Peter Vanham, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2023
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second

4 of 4 verb
  • I would like to second the motion to adjourn.
  • Rosario scored him with a single to right and Ramirez moved Rosario to second with a single.
    Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 19 July 2023
  • Kwan started the rally with a one-out walk and Rosario singled him to second against Will Vest.
    Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 9 Aug. 2022
  • Just to second that emotion, like Eric said, shout out to all of the women with their R&B and just Black women.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 17 Oct. 2023
  • Mikey Kane was beaned to open the bottom of the 13th and Macias — after botching two bunt attempts — moved Kane to second with a grounder to first.
    Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 17 Apr. 2023
  • These poles are not fancy or flashy, but will get the job done with your best snowshoes or skis, and can second as a pair of hiking poles.
    Lindsey Lapointe, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024
  • Duran led off the third inning with a single and was sacrificed to second by Yu Chang.
    Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Apr. 2023
  • The Rangers advanced a runner to second in the sixth and seventh innings — Taveras in the sixth and Adolis García in the seventh, both of whom walked — but couldn’t score.
    Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 13 June 2023
  • García, who walked to start a two-out, two-run rally in the fifth made the first out of the seventh on a grounder to second with the infield in with runners on second and third.
    Evan Grant, Dallas News, 7 July 2023
  • Give pedestrians and cyclists seconds more to get out of the way of a vehicle that outweighs them by thousands of pounds.
    Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
  • The infielder-by-trade fired a strike to second on a one-out single by Corey Seager to catch the $325-million man trying to stretch out a double.
    Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 31 May 2023
  • Roche seconds this idea of bottling fame, or, at least, fame adjacency.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2023
  • Travis seconds Jason’s compliments to mother Donna Kelce’s dinner rolls and says mac and cheese is a favorite of his, too.
    Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023
  • That motion, seconded by Councilmember Rick Robinson, failed on the 2-2 vote.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Oct. 2023
  • When Keith made the motion for his funding to be approved, no council member seconded the motion – which means the motion dies.
    Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 23 Feb. 2023
  • That motion failed when no other board members seconded it.
    Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, 8 June 2023
  • Magnus Fiennes — a composer and the brother of actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes — was also in attendance and seconded the notion about the nature of the sound.
    Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 1 May 2023
  • When Keith made the motion for his request to be considered two weeks ago, no council member seconded the motion.
    Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 9 Mar. 2023
  • Bear Alexander, the anchor of USC’s defensive line last season, seconded that notion.
    Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2023
  • However, common sense, seconded by Miss Manners, counsels against putting too much faith in the power of anesthesia.
    Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
  • Valletta seconded that recollection in her own video with Vogue from April.
    Emily Kirkpatrick, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023
  • The books discussed in these meetings must be nominated by a staffer and have at least one other reader seconding that nomination.
    Melissa Kirsch Andrew Lavallee Melissa Clark, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023
  • If Newsom has designs on the White House, the easy and obvious move would have been seconding Kounalakis and others calling for removal of the insurrectionist ex-president from the 2024 ballot.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2023
  • As for the ongoing speculation surrounding the film's behind-the-scenes drama, Wilde seconded comments that Pugh previously made to Elle.
    Karli Bendlin, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2023
  • No council member seconded Kurland’s motion to accept Alternative 3, which meant it could not be considered for a vote.
    Elizabeth Earl For Alaska Journal Of Commerce, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Apr. 2023
  • Councilor Isaac Hodges, the lone councilor who voted against reinstating Howard in January, seconded the motion.
    oregonlive, 24 Apr. 2023
  • That nomination must then be seconded by two other members, before being voted on by the academy’s full membership.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2023
  • Robin Thede seconded Henson’s argument on X, noting that an actor is running a whole operation where a majority of an actor’s gross income does not belong to them, going to expenses like managers and lawyers.
    Vulture, 20 Dec. 2023
  • Finally, there is also a metro station in Piazza della Repubblica itself, literally seconds from the front door.
    Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 3 May 2023
  • Fellow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk seconded the notion.
    Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'second.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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