second best 
adjective
Next after the best: his second-best suit...
- So as noted, being on call Thanksgiving is the second-best scenario.
- The second-best luck is to have bought a house in Vancouver or Toronto 40, 50, 60 years ago.
- Majority rule is a second-best solution: Less than half the voters are denied their preferences.
noun
A less adequate or less desirable alternative: he would have to settle for second best...
- In routine ways, we are mostly happy to settle for the second best or intellectual handouts.
- Now, I favor second bests in many situations, but first you have to show that the best isn't feasible.
- If we can't find the exact time, then the time it was first reported is a good second best.
Phrases
come off second best
- cross lease
- cross-legged
- cross-license
- cross light
- cross link
- cross-linkage
- crossly
- crossmatch
- cross member
- cross my heart (and hope to die)
- crossness
- cross of Lorraine
- cross one's fingers
- cross one's legs
- cross one's mind
- crossopterygian
- crossover
- crossover distortion
- crossover network
- cross-over vote
- cross-ownership
- cross-party
- crosspatch
- cross patonce
- cross peen