stalking horse

noun

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stalk·ing horse | \ ˈstȯ-kiŋ-

Definition of stalking horse

1 : a horse or a figure like a horse behind which a hunter stalks game

2 : something used to mask a purpose

3 : a candidate put forward to divide the opposition or to conceal someone's real candidacy

Examples of stalking horse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web TerraMar becomes the stalking horse bidder for the auction and sale process. — Maria Halkias, Dallas News, "Francesca’s files for bankruptcy and says it’s closing 10 stores in Texas," 4 Dec. 2020 Trump has warned that Biden is a stalking horse for the radical left, while Biden said Trump’s defeat is imperative to move the country forward. — Dallas News, "Asset or albatross? Some GOP candidates ponder whether to embrace or avoid Donald Trump," 11 Sep. 2020 Known as a stalking horse bid, the agreement set a minimum price for the sale. — Joe Taschler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bankruptcy judge approves sale of Briggs & Stratton," 17 Sep. 2020 All along skeptics were wondering if Hawkfish was just a stalking horse for its billionaire founder. — Steven Levy, Wired, "How Bloomberg's Digital Army Is Still Fighting for Democrats," 7 Aug. 2020 The bankruptcy plan calls for Fortress to act as a stalking horse bidder, which sets a minimum price for a prospective auction. — Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, "Sur La Table, retailer of kitchen wares and cooking classes, files for bankruptcy," 9 July 2020 The Fort Worth, Texas, retailer has tapped Retail Ecommerce Ventures LLC to serve as the lead bidder, or stalking horse, to acquire Pier 1’s intellectual property, data and other assets related to the e-commerce business. — Aisha Al-muslim, WSJ, "Pier 1 Imports Gets $20 Million Offer for Branding, Online Business," 6 July 2020 The judge reminded the lawyers that the first lien lenders should also be preparing a stalking horse bid, or a floor bid on the assets, in the event that Penney is put up for bids. — Maria Halkias, Dallas News, "Should J.C. Penney be split up or sold? Everything is still on the table as bankruptcy enters critical phase," 1 July 2020 Howard has fought back hard over the past week, alleging Willis is a Republican stalking horse who, in exchange for the Atlanta Police Union’s endorsement, agreed not to prosecute cops accused of excessive force. — Christian Boone, ajc, "Longtime Fulton DA forced into run-off vs. former chief deputy," 10 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stalking horse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Stalking horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stalking%20horse. Accessed 10 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for stalking horse

stalking horse

noun

English Language Learners Definition of stalking horse

: someone or something that is used to hide a true purpose especially : a candidate for a political office or position who has no real chance of winning but is being used by a political party to weaken the support for an opposing party, to find out if another candidate might be successful, etc.

See the full definition for stalking horse in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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