1
as in favorites
a person or thing that is preferred over others
for a while that candidate was the darling of the news media and could do no wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sweethearts
a person with whom one is in love
anything you say, darling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darlings
But more and more, Black List darlings wind up as buzzy Netflix curios like They Cloned Tyrone and May December.
—
Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Currently, her work has been worn by fashion icons Naomi Campbell and Anok Yai, as well as music darlings like Kelly Rowland, Cassie, and SZA.
—Essence, 1 Oct. 2025
Those didn’t even qualify as darlings, just roadkill on the highway to becoming someone else.
—Jane Ciabattari
september 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
The young women are commercial darlings, selling everything from chocolate to cell phones and even appearing in videos recruiting for the Japanese military and promoting government bonds.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025
One of Snappy Little Numbers’ current label darlings is the fierce Colorado Springs foursome Cheap Perfume, which recently played Denver’s Punk in the Park festival.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
The Bulls were the early-season darlings of the Group of Five, thanks to back-to-back upsets over Boise State and Florida.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
More Patrick McDermott/Getty Images The Packers, who had been the darlings of the national media last summer after coming within minutes of an NFC Championship Game appearance the previous season, lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Over the past 20 years of Black List darlings and Edgar Wright rip-offs, the American film industry has established a new archetype of cinema filled with quippy antiheroes, gory allegories for domestic strife, and character actors rattling off reference humor.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Currently, her work has been worn by fashion icons Naomi Campbell and Anok Yai, as well as music darlings like Kelly Rowland, Cassie, and SZA.
—Essence, 1 Oct. 2025
Those didn’t even qualify as darlings, just roadkill on the highway to becoming someone else.
—Jane Ciabattari
september 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
The young women are commercial darlings, selling everything from chocolate to cell phones and even appearing in videos recruiting for the Japanese military and promoting government bonds.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025
One of Snappy Little Numbers’ current label darlings is the fierce Colorado Springs foursome Cheap Perfume, which recently played Denver’s Punk in the Park festival.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
The Bulls were the early-season darlings of the Group of Five, thanks to back-to-back upsets over Boise State and Florida.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
More Patrick McDermott/Getty Images The Packers, who had been the darlings of the national media last summer after coming within minutes of an NFC Championship Game appearance the previous season, lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Over the past 20 years of Black List darlings and Edgar Wright rip-offs, the American film industry has established a new archetype of cinema filled with quippy antiheroes, gory allegories for domestic strife, and character actors rattling off reference humor.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darlings
Noun
-
The actors said that the episode was one of their least favorites but commended the late Doherty for her work on it.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
-
So, stating the obvious, here are two teams that were considered Super Bowl contenders — if not favorites — entering the year.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The high school sweethearts were all smiles in the mirror selfie at the Kansas City spot, which the NFL star co-owns with teammate Travis Kelce.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
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Akl and Hasan Akil (Memory Box) star as childhood sweethearts Yasmina and Nino, who lose sight of one another to reunite in their late 20s, with their relationship developing in step with the tumultuous history of Lebanon.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In her novel, Henry chronicles a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance with lots of fun travels.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Miami Takes the Top Spot Miami, Florida, ranked as the number one city for food lovers, excelling in both affordability and food diversity.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darlings. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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