come first

verb

To win first place in a competition.

“Near-synonym: override”

Similar
override
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Meanings

verbcome first (third-person singular simple present comes first, present participle coming first, simple past came first, past participle come first)

present singular third person comes first · participle present coming first · past came first

  1. idiomaticTo win first place in a competition.

    Sally came first in the calligraphy competition.

  2. idiomaticTo be the most important thing to consider.

    Near-synonym: override

    2 more examples

    Don't forget: safety comes first.

    Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth? / Ooh, heaven is a place on Earth / They say in heaven, love comes first / We'll make heaven a place on Earth / Ooh, heaven is a place on Earth

    1987 September 14, Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley, “Heaven Is a Place on Earth”, in Heaven on Earth, performed by Belinda Carlisle

    Synonyms: override

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo be the most important thing to consider.

Similar
override

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 名列第一, 放在首位
  • 名列第一 (míngliè dì-yī)win first place in competition
  • 放在首位 (fàng zài shǒuwèi)be the most important thing to consider
  • 第一 (dì-yī)be the most important thing to consider
Finnish voittaa, tulla ensimmäiseksi
  • voittaawin first place in competition
  • tulla ensimmäiseksiwin first place in competition
  • olla tärkeintäbe the most important thing to consider
  • olla ykkösasiabe the most important thing to consider
  • olla ykkönenbe the most important thing to consider
French arriver premier, primer
  • arriver premierwin first place in competition
  • primerbe the most important thing to consider
  • d'abordbe the most important thing to consider
  • avant toutbe the most important thing to consider
Russian побежда́ть, победи́ть
  • побежда́ть (pobeždátʹ)win first place in competition
  • победи́ть (pobedítʹ)win first place in competition
  • выи́грывать (vyígryvatʹ)win first place in competition
  • вы́играть (výigratʹ)win first place in competition
  • пре́жде всего́ (préžde vsevó)be the most important thing to consider
Cite this entry
APA

come first. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20first

MLA

“come first.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20first. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “come first,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20first.

Source: come first on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.