the wrong horse
noun
: someone or something that is not successful
—used with choose/pick/back (etc.)
The company has been losing money, and many investors are beginning to feel that they may have backed the wrong horse.
Examples of the wrong horse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the Craig Gillespie film, Ferrera plays Jenny, a single mother and nurse who bets on the wrong horse.
—
Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Dec. 2023
Jones has a habit of making amends after backing the wrong horse.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 13 July 2023
The outcomes can be painful for companies or consumers who bet on the wrong horse.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 27 June 2023
Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Dec. 2023
Jones has a habit of making amends after backing the wrong horse.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 13 July 2023
The outcomes can be painful for companies or consumers who bet on the wrong horse.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 27 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the wrong horse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the wrong horse
Cite this Entry
“The wrong horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20wrong%20horse. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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