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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dark horse was in 1821

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Cite this Entry

“Dark horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20horse. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

dark horse

noun
: a contestant or a political figure whose abilities and chances of winning are not known
the convention nominated a dark horse

More from Merriam-Webster on dark horse

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