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
Have Dubai backed the wrong horse?
—
Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Betting on the wrong horse could leave you saddled with unnecessary costs and inefficiencies, but sitting on the sidelines is just as dangerous.
—Patrick Reynolds, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
No one wants to back the wrong horse, especially in the presidential race.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2024
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
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Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Betting on the wrong horse could leave you saddled with unnecessary costs and inefficiencies, but sitting on the sidelines is just as dangerous.
—Patrick Reynolds, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
No one wants to back the wrong horse, especially in the presidential race.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2024
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
Cite this Entry
“The wrong horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20wrong%20horse. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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