How do I solve 8 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31253?

Question

Accepted Answer

8 down reads "Narrow carpets lifted in seconds?" (7-2 letters); the answer is RUNNERS-UP. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Narrow carpets lifted in seconds? (7-2)

8D — Narrow carpets lifted in seconds? (7-2) — RUNNERS-UP