dark horses

noun

plural of dark horse
1
as in stalking horses

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in long shots

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dark horses
  1. competitors
  2. plays
  3. favorites
  4. contestants
  5. entrants
  6. qualifiers
  7. entries
  8. candidates
Noun
  • Mahnken said that Disney has one advantage over its competitors, even in an uncertain economy.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Klobuchar handily won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary Tuesday with no major competitors.
    — Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of competitors
Noun
  • If this basin is not developed, one of Latin America’s premier shale oil plays will be lost.
    — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • After missing four games at the start of the season because of a concussion, Zandalasini spent time working with head coach Natalie Nakase to sketch out plays.
    — Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of plays
Noun
  • Both are teammates of Storrie’s Ilya Rozanov, and eventually Gillespie’s Troy Barrett, and are fan favorites in the book series.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Read on for our full guide to the cast and characters of Camp Rock 3, including returning favorites and new campers.
    — Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of favorites
Noun
  • There’s also the opportunity to be the one to win the $500,000 grand prize out of the 24 DUNKMAN contestants.
    — Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Now, is using paper towels a little lackluster compared with last year’s Abbott Elementary crossover challenge, where the contestants had to use school supplies?
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of contestants
Noun
  • Instead, entrants are screened by a panel of professionals in the appropriate peer groups (animation, costume design, emerging media programming and motion and title design).
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But Tencent is facing a slew of competition in the AI space, from established titans like Alibaba to newer entrants like DeepSeek and Moonshot AI, the developer of the Kimi models.
    — Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of entrants
Noun
  • For the first time in quite a while, the western and eastern Europe qualifiers have been merged into one super qualifier, featuring top teams from both regions.
    — Mike Stubbs, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Definition of qualifiers
Noun
  • The two lawmakers have intensely criticized Fauci over the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic for years, with Paul recently releasing diary entries penned by Fauci during the height of the pandemic.
    — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The photo contest draws entries from all over, said Jinger Wallace, a Bluebelt member and contest organizer.
    — Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of entries
Noun
  • But the other main parties called it a stunt and refused to take part, leaving Farage running against an assortment of independents, jokers and single-issue candidates led by Count Binface, a comic space alien with a trash can on his head.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • And the issue is front-and-center in this year's primaries as candidates eye the Democratic and Republican nomination for an open Senate seat.
    — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of candidates
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.

Browse Nearby Words

dark horse
dark horses
darkish
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Cite this Entry

“Dark horses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dark%20horses. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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