1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

dark horse

noun

Definition of dark horsenext
1
as in stalking horse

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in long shot

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dark horse Canales’ acknowledgement of Reed’s ability to play all three wide receiver positions is probably the best endorsement a dark horse can receive during the first week of camp. — Mike Kaye august 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Aug. 2026 Daniel Jones is also noted as a dark horse for this significant award. — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Speedy Ethan Bonner, the third-year player, is a dark horse starting candidate. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026 But the Idaho cyclist heads into this year’s tour as a wild card and a popular dark horse pick after a hectic start to the 2026 season. — Idaho Statesman, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dark horse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dark horse
  1. stalking horse
  2. long shot
  3. favorite son
  4. favorite
  5. competitor
  6. crown prince
  7. contestant
  8. entry
Noun
  • The Dania Beach headquarters campus that once served as the nerve center of now-defunct Spirit Airlines has been sold to a Boston hedge fund that served as the stalking horse bidder in a bankruptcy court auction.
    — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Markets may be used as stalking horses to extract more from other markets.
    — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of stalking horse
Noun
  • At the sportsbooks, Schlittler is a long shot to win the American League MVP.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Some cold cases do eventually thaw…the result of a crisis of conscience or a dying declaration, but in the case of Shergar, sure seems like a long shot.
    — Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of long shot
Noun
  • This is Southport's favorite son, and one of golf's most beloved figures because of his grace handling more tough losses than wins.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Fort Worth’s favorite son is releasing a new album this fall.
    — Brayden Garcia July 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of favorite son
Noun
  • The Eagles are betting favorites to beat the Bears in Week 3.
    — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Zesta Saltine Crackers Zesta’s Saltine Crackers was not a favorite of testers, putting it near the bottom of the list.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of favorite
Noun
  • But newspaper people ought to stand in solidarity with our broadcast brethren/competitors in this incredibly small-minded and grudging clash between the White House and the Washington press corps.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • As figures like Goldberg publicly champion micro-practices, expect competitors to release bite-sized modules designed to fit between meetings or before opening a stressful email.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of competitor
Noun
  • His group stayed at the Royal Mustang Resort, which is run by the former kingdom’s crown prince Jigme Bista.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Norway’s crown prince ascends to the throne after the death of his father, King Harald V.
    — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of crown prince
Noun
  • Related In the sketch, four of KATSEYE’s six members appear as judges overseeing a new crop of contestants whose journey to pop stardom is much more chaotic than the first season.
    — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants must expose their rivals secrets live on air.
    — L.M. Chilton, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of contestant
Noun
  • The first pre-production ES-36 aircraft is currently under construction at Heart’s pilot manufacturing plant in Los Angeles, with first flight expected in the second half of 2028 and entry into service in 2031.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The next day, journalists for the three outlets arrived at work to find their entry badges disabled.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of entry

Browse Nearby Words

darkens
dark horse
dark horses
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dark horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dark%20horse. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of epistemic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All