The idiom "pipped to the post" means to be beaten or narrowly defeated in a competition or race. It is often used to describe a situation where someone was very close to winning, but ultimately came in second place.
The origin of this phrase comes from horse racing, where the finish line is marked by a post. If a horse was "pipped" to the post, it means that another horse managed to cross the finish line just before it.
You can use this idiom in a variety of situations, not just in the context of sports. For example, you might say that you were "pipped to the post" for a job promotion, meaning that someone else was chosen instead of you. Or, you could say that your team was "pipped to the post" in a sales competition, meaning that another team managed to sell more than you did.
Overall, "pipped to the post" is a useful idiom to describe a situation where someone narrowly missed out on a victory or success.
• The company was pipped to the post by their competitors who launched the product before them.
• The team was disappointed to be pipped to the post by their rivals in the closely contested championship.
• I was pipped to the post by my little sister in the race we had in the park.
• The highly anticipated film was pipped to the post for the Best Picture award at the Oscars by a lesser-known indie movie.
• Despite being the top candidate, she was pipped to the post in the final round of the interview process.
• The athlete was pipped to the post by a fraction of a second in the 100-meter race.
• The author had been the favorite to win the prestigious literary award, but was pipped to the post by a more obscure writer.
• The political party had been ahead in the polls for months, but on election day they were pipped to the post by their main opposition.
• I thought I had won the race, but my friend was pipped to the post right at the end.
• The company had been working hard to win the contract, but their rival was pipped to the post in the final stages.
• The film was expected to win the Oscar for Best Picture, but it was pipped to the post by a surprise dark horse.
• The athlete had been leading the race for most of the way, but was pipped to the post by a younger, faster competitor.