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
Names like Allan Deberton, Rafhael Barbosa, Tiago Melo and Nara Normande have launched festival darlings and have exciting new projects in the pipeline.
—
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Arsenal enters the match as the favorite, but Sporting has been resilient in the Champions League, rebounding from a 3-0 loss to tournament darlings Bodo/Glimt with a 5-0 thrashing in Lisbon.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
After delivering back-to-back Cannes darlings with the Camera d’Or winner Girl (2018) and Grand Prix-winning Close (2022), Dhont is returning to Cannes with his third feature and his first period piece.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
In between seasons, Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, and the rest of the cast have come to rule Hollywood, starring in blockbuster franchises, A24 and Neon film-festival darlings, and generating buzzy press cycles all on their own.
—The Editors, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2026
Among the standout pairings were country darlings Maddie & Tae, originally from Texas and Oklahoma, respectively.
—Amelia Edelman, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Optical component makers are investors’ latest darlings.
—Ryan Vlastelica, Bloomberg, 2 Apr. 2026
Those making more bookish and insular styles of the genre, like the Magnetic Fields and Belle and Sebastian, weren’t being worshipped as critical darlings; in some cases their records hadn’t made it to America yet.
—David Glickman, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, avant-garde heavy rockers Deftones became unexpected TikTok darlings and arena stars.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Arsenal enters the match as the favorite, but Sporting has been resilient in the Champions League, rebounding from a 3-0 loss to tournament darlings Bodo/Glimt with a 5-0 thrashing in Lisbon.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
After delivering back-to-back Cannes darlings with the Camera d’Or winner Girl (2018) and Grand Prix-winning Close (2022), Dhont is returning to Cannes with his third feature and his first period piece.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
In between seasons, Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, and the rest of the cast have come to rule Hollywood, starring in blockbuster franchises, A24 and Neon film-festival darlings, and generating buzzy press cycles all on their own.
—The Editors, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2026
Among the standout pairings were country darlings Maddie & Tae, originally from Texas and Oklahoma, respectively.
—Amelia Edelman, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
Optical component makers are investors’ latest darlings.
—Ryan Vlastelica, Bloomberg, 2 Apr. 2026
Those making more bookish and insular styles of the genre, like the Magnetic Fields and Belle and Sebastian, weren’t being worshipped as critical darlings; in some cases their records hadn’t made it to America yet.
—David Glickman, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, avant-garde heavy rockers Deftones became unexpected TikTok darlings and arena stars.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darlings
Noun
-
Join MyRecipes—your personal home for recipes—to easily save and organize your favorites, plus thousands more, in one convenient place.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In between there’s the elevated-casual Mistral for al fresco Mediterranean favorites like rack of lamb and seared scallops; the Evrima Room for white-table-cloth dining with wine pairings; and Talaat Nam for Thai-fusion and sushi options.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After the fatal crash, those who knew Lynnea and Luke, who were college sweethearts and small business owners, remembered the couple's legacy in their local community.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The two were high school sweethearts, Fields said.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
May these two sweeties never travel to Russia ever again.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Coincidentally landing on National Cheddar Fries Day and National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day, the date is shaping up to be a great day for snack-lovers and munchies-havers alike.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Tavish, who just moved to New Zealand from Los Angeles with his bride, is a gigolo whose three previous aging lovers died under mysterious circumstances.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darlings. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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