a horse of a different color

noun phrase

chiefly US, informal

: a very different thing or issue

That's what we'll do when he gets here. But if he doesn't show up … well, that's a horse of a different color.

Examples of a horse of a different color in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This idea has led to some interesting places, as scientists attempt to actually build brains, to create that organic matter with thinking capability, and as a visitor from the 1950s might say, that’s a horse of a different color. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Marilyn’s nude, however, was a horse of a different color. — Joshua John Miller, Vanity Fair, 9 Apr. 2026

Anheuser-Busch will have to see how viewers react to its latest ad to determine if consumers think the Clydesdales still present good horse sense or represent a horse of a different color. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026

That is a horse of a different color — or black and white, as the case may be. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025

The room got quiet and sad—omnipotent AI was a horse of a different color. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 2 Dec. 2024

But this colorful, hyperreal extravaganza is definitely a horse of a different color. — Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 11 July 2024

Rhymes for a horse of a different color

• bicolor
• concolor
• discolor
• tricolor
• colour
• culler
• duller
• multicolor
• technicolor
• unicolor
• versicolor
• watercolor