dark horse
noun
1
a
: a usually little known contender (such as a racehorse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing
b
: an entrant in a contest that is judged unlikely to succeed
2
: a political candidate unexpectedly nominated usually as a compromise between factions
Examples of dark horse in a Sentence
The Democrat from Utah has gone from being a dark horse to the front-runner in the campaign for President.
The movie is a dark horse for the award.
He is a dark horse, but I did find out that he once played football professionally.
Recent Examples on the Web
Not only did some have the Bears pegged as playoff contenders, but there were even some who viewed them as a legitimate dark horse in the NFC.
—
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Novak, who impressed with steady finishes throughout the season including Ben Griffin’s partner at the Zurich win, was seen as a dark horse pick but ultimately lost out to flashier names.
—Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Somebody would be set up as a dark horse.
—Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
After beginning the year ranked 333rd in the world, Mboko has surged to 24th and arrives in New York City as a potential dark horse for the US Open, where she is seeded (22nd) in the main draw of a major for the first time.
—Max Gao, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dark horse
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Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Novak, who impressed with steady finishes throughout the season including Ben Griffin’s partner at the Zurich win, was seen as a dark horse pick but ultimately lost out to flashier names.
—Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Somebody would be set up as a dark horse.
—Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
After beginning the year ranked 333rd in the world, Mboko has surged to 24th and arrives in New York City as a potential dark horse for the US Open, where she is seeded (22nd) in the main draw of a major for the first time.
—Max Gao, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dark horse
Cite this Entry
“Dark horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20horse. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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