won first place

USAGE SUMMARY

"won first place" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to convey that someone has achieved a top ranking in some kind of competition or event. For example, "The gymnast won first place in the regional competition."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Christine Domanic's Wiener Bench won first place.

The New York Times

I won first place AND got five books!

The Guardian

Fausto Podavini won first place, daily life stories, for an essay on Alzheimer's disease.

The New York Times

When "Shark" won first place in the news feature category, he heard the news on Facebook.

The New York Times

(Mr. Osmond won first place, while Ms. Osmond came in third).

The New York Times

At 13, she won first place for a composition in an N.A.A.C.P. student competition.

The New York Times

Kololyan won first place in the men's longboard division, with Reinhardt taking second.

The New York Times - Sports

A Park Slope block won first place in the competition, run by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The New York Times

The women's chorus won first place in an Eastern Division music festival last spring.

The New York Times

She won first place the Dealey competition in Dallas in 1961.

The New York Times

When our son Gregory came home from a school athletic meet, we were impressed that he had won first place in all his events, until we realized that every child had won first place.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a win, consider adding specifics to increase the impact of your writing. For example, instead of saying someone "won first place", specify the competition and any notable details: 'She "won first place" in the National Spelling Bee, earning a full scholarship.'

Common error

Avoid phrases like "won the first place prize" because it's redundant. "Won first place" already implies a prize or award is associated with it.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "won first place" functions as a declarative statement indicating that someone has successfully achieved the highest ranking in a contest or competition. Ludwig AI confirms it's a standard and acceptable English phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

69%

Wiki

13%

Science

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "won first place" is a grammatically sound and widely used phrase to indicate achieving the highest rank in a competition or contest. According to Ludwig AI, it's correct and applicable in various writing contexts. While very common in news media and general announcements, it is less frequent in academic discourse. Related phrases include "secured first position" or "claimed the top spot". Remember to avoid redundancy by not adding the word "prize" and being specific about the context of the win, such as "She "won first place" in the science fair".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

claimed the top spot

Emphasizes the act of taking or possessing the highest ranking.

secured first position

Replaces "won" with "secured" and "place" with "position", offering a slightly more formal tone.

took the gold

Uses a common metaphor for winning, especially in sports contexts.

finished in first position

Focuses on the final ranking in a competition or race.

achieved top honors

Substitutes "won first place" with a more general term for winning, focusing on the prestige of the achievement.

was the champion

Rephrases the win as a state of being, highlighting the resulting title.

emerged victorious

Replaces the direct statement of winning with a phrase highlighting the act of overcoming challenges.

received the highest award

Generalizes the winning to receiving any type of top recognition.

topped the leaderboard

Implies winning in a competition that uses a leaderboard to track progress.

triumphed over all competitors

Highlights the act of winning against all other participants.

FAQs

How to use "won first place" in a sentence?

You can use "won first place" to describe someone achieving the top position in a competition. For example, "The team "won first place" in the robotics competition."

What can I say instead of "won first place"?

You can use alternatives like "secured first position", "achieved top honors", or "claimed the top spot" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "won first place" or "win first place"?

"Won first place" is used when referring to a past event, while "win first place" is used when discussing a potential future event. For example, "She "won first place" last year," versus "She hopes to "win first place" this year."

Is it redundant to say "won first place prize"?

Yes, saying "won first place prize" is redundant. The phrase ""won first place"" already implies that a prize or award was received.