dark horse
noun
1
a
: a usually little known contender (such as a racehorse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing
b
: an entrant in a contest that is judged unlikely to succeed
2
: a political candidate unexpectedly nominated usually as a compromise between factions
Examples of dark horse in a Sentence
The Democrat from Utah has gone from being a dark horse to the front-runner in the campaign for President.
The movie is a dark horse for the award.
He is a dark horse, but I did find out that he once played football professionally.
Recent Examples on the Web
With the arrival of Flagg, the depth and continuity of their rotation and the elite playmaking of Davis and Irving, Smith believes the Mavericks could be a dark horse to compete for an NBA title.
—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Looking for a Group of 5 dark horse outside of the American?
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
While Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermes maintained domination as the top three brands, there was a dark horse stealing the search bar.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
In the snap, Hadid's daughter could be seen sitting on a dark horse with her boots hanging over the horse's side.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dark horse
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Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Looking for a Group of 5 dark horse outside of the American?
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
While Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermes maintained domination as the top three brands, there was a dark horse stealing the search bar.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
In the snap, Hadid's daughter could be seen sitting on a dark horse with her boots hanging over the horse's side.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dark horse
Cite this Entry
“Dark horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20horse. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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