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
Leading the way are Vogue cover star Rosalía, Olympian Alysa Liu, and street-style darlings.
—
Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026
The absence of those factors is likely why none of his films broke through to reach a wider audience or became awards season darlings.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
And, increasingly, many are mounting charm offenses on X in the hopes of becoming MAGA darlings.
—Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
The La La Land star joined her fellow award season darlings at the Beverly Hilton on Tuesday, looking chic in an NSFW power dressing moment.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
The specialty box office is looking wild this weekend with an eclectic programming mix as festival darlings and a boy band try some Super Bowl LX counterprogramming.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
However, the market drop Wednesday was driven by a selloff in semiconductor stocks, with Advanced Micro Devices falling nearly 16% after earnings, and market darlings like SanDisk and Micron dropping by double-digits on a percentage basis.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Along with cream cheese and sour cream, this trio of dairy darlings melts into a rich and ultra-satisfying sauce to coat noodles and ground beef.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
The standoff turned the Bundys into the first family of the Patriot Movement and darlings of conservative media.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2026
The absence of those factors is likely why none of his films broke through to reach a wider audience or became awards season darlings.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
And, increasingly, many are mounting charm offenses on X in the hopes of becoming MAGA darlings.
—Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
The La La Land star joined her fellow award season darlings at the Beverly Hilton on Tuesday, looking chic in an NSFW power dressing moment.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
The specialty box office is looking wild this weekend with an eclectic programming mix as festival darlings and a boy band try some Super Bowl LX counterprogramming.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
However, the market drop Wednesday was driven by a selloff in semiconductor stocks, with Advanced Micro Devices falling nearly 16% after earnings, and market darlings like SanDisk and Micron dropping by double-digits on a percentage basis.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Along with cream cheese and sour cream, this trio of dairy darlings melts into a rich and ultra-satisfying sauce to coat noodles and ground beef.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
The standoff turned the Bundys into the first family of the Patriot Movement and darlings of conservative media.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darlings
Noun
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The collection includes classic Italian dishes like spaghetti carbonara and cacio e pepe, TikTok’s own feta pasta, vegetarian favorites like savory pasta with beans, and plenty of weeknight one-pot dinners.—
Joe Sevier,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Feb. 2026
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Spanx’s Presidents’ Day sale has markdowns on more than 700 items, with our favorites starting at $29 for the best-selling Everyday Leggings.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The couple are middle school sweethearts, having met in their home state of North Carolina.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
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However, there are several couples from earlier seasons who have gone the distance, including America’s sweethearts from season 1, Lauren and Cameron.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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May these two sweeties never travel to Russia ever again.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For museum lovers, the California Academy of Sciences is a must-visit that combines marine life, planetarium shows, and a tropical rainforest biome under one roof.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
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For animal lovers, pop over to the island of Vieques where hundreds of wild horses roam free.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darlings. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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