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
In the run-up to the British Academy Film Awards, the question swirled: Would the night confirm the latter’s surge and give it yet another boost ahead of the Academy Awards, or would another dark horse emerge and upend everything?
Below, see all of the winners from the 2025 BAFTAs.
—
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2025
The Yankees still remain comfortably above the competition, however, should Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continue his dominance and Bo Bichette work a bounce-back season, the Jays could soon become a dark horse to make noise.
—James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025
Might Torres now be a dark horse candidate to win lead actress?
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The big picture: Once there are rumblings of a CEO shakeup, experts told Axios that comms teams should prepare plans based on typical successor profiles — an inside hire, a dark horse or outsider, and a known industry leader.
—Eleanor Hawkins, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dark horse
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Radhika Seth, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2025
The Yankees still remain comfortably above the competition, however, should Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continue his dominance and Bo Bichette work a bounce-back season, the Jays could soon become a dark horse to make noise.
—James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025
Might Torres now be a dark horse candidate to win lead actress?
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The big picture: Once there are rumblings of a CEO shakeup, experts told Axios that comms teams should prepare plans based on typical successor profiles — an inside hire, a dark horse or outsider, and a known industry leader.
—Eleanor Hawkins, Axios, 13 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2025.
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