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
While Kitsch is terrific as Edwards, the show’s dark horse is Tom Hopper, who plays Navy SEAL Lieutenant, Raife Hastings, a Rhodesian expatriate.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Mizzou is looking like a dark horse in a wide open SEC.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2025
Jim Jarmusch‘s delicate triptych Father Mother Sister Brother, critically celebrated for its effortless poignancy, was the night’s dark horse champ, handing the American indie film icon his first Venice Golden Lion.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for dark horse
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Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Mizzou is looking like a dark horse in a wide open SEC.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2025
Jim Jarmusch‘s delicate triptych Father Mother Sister Brother, critically celebrated for its effortless poignancy, was the night’s dark horse champ, handing the American indie film icon his first Venice Golden Lion.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
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
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 30 Sep. 2025.
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