warhorse

noun

war·​horse ˈwȯr-ˌhȯrs How to pronounce warhorse (audio)
Synonyms of warhorsenext
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

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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.
All three warhorses will be first-ballot Hall of Famers. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025 The starting pitching is really, really good, with Zack Wheeler one of the game’s best, Aaron Nola a 200-inning warhorse, and Cristopher Sanchez continuing to male bold strides. — Tony Blengino, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 Jesus chose to enter the city on the back of a colt, in stark contrast to the warhorses and chariots of Roman armies. — Lynne Silva-Breen, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Going to celebrate the Passover, Jesus chose to enter the city on the back of a colt, in stark contrast to the warhorses and chariots of Roman armies. — Lynne Silva-Breen, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for warhorse

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of warhorse was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Warhol
warhorse
wari
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Cite this Entry

“Warhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warhorse. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

war-horse

noun
ˈwȯ(ə)r-ˌhȯ(ə)rs
1
: a horse used in war : charger
2
: a veteran soldier or politician
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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