warhorse
noun
war·horse
ˈwȯr-ˌhȯrs 
1
: a horse used in war : charger
2
: a person with long experience in a field
especially
: a veteran soldier or public person (such as a politician)
3
: something (such as a work of art or musical composition) that has become overly familiar or hackneyed due to much repetition in the standard repertoire
Examples of warhorse in a Sentence
the Democratic warhorse in the Senate
a general who describes himself as an old warhorse
a new production of an old warhorse
Recent Examples on the Web
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, that warhorse of English traditionalism, is mentioned six times, and his plangent music—invoking a lost, idyllic England; a greener, more pleasant land—could easily be the novel’s soundtrack.
—
Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024
At 33, Watt is young enough not to be tired of even the most familiar rock radio warhorses.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2024
All those slick remakes of beloved old properties, all those paint-by-numbers genre warhorses with beloved movie stars in the lead.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 16 Sep. 2024
Every street in Hollywood has its own history and its own horror story, and while that’s not exactly an original sentiment, West & Goth know how to make that warhorse lament shriek as well as sing.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for warhorse 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024
At 33, Watt is young enough not to be tired of even the most familiar rock radio warhorses.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2024
All those slick remakes of beloved old properties, all those paint-by-numbers genre warhorses with beloved movie stars in the lead.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 16 Sep. 2024
Every street in Hollywood has its own history and its own horror story, and while that’s not exactly an original sentiment, West & Goth know how to make that warhorse lament shriek as well as sing.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for warhorse
Dictionary Entries Near warhorse
Cite this Entry
“Warhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warhorse. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share