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

Example Sentences

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 Mescal, 26, has already earned acting nominations from the Gotham, British Independent Film and European Film awards, with some Oscar pundits calling him a dark horse best actor contender for his gut-wrenching work in the father-daughter drama. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 9 Nov. 2022 Suella Braverman, former home secretary Braverman, 42, is seen as a dark horse candidate. BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2022 The winner of Friday’s game will set itself up as a dark horse contender entering the 4A tournament. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 2 Nov. 2022 Still, don't sleep on Buttrey as a potential dark horse. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 31 Oct. 2022 Elsewhere, look for ALA-Queen Creek as a dark horse. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 27 Aug. 2022 Perhaps this is the year VeeKay can be a dark horse title contender beyond early June. Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 May 2022 The local prosecutor, under pressure from the governor and the press, came up with a dark horse to charge: a friend of one of the two young people who discovered the bodies. Tom Nolan, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2022 Could the Air-King be the next cultish outlier, the dark horse of the stainless steel sports watch parade? Carol Besler, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dark horse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dark horse was in 1821

Dictionary Entries Near dark horse

Cite this Entry

“Dark horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20horse. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

Kids Definition

dark horse

noun
: a contestant or a political figure whose abilities and chances of winning are not known
the convention nominated a dark horse

More from Merriam-Webster on dark horse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


The Great British Vocabulary Quiz

  • union jack speech bubble
  • Named after Sir Robert Peel, what are British police called?
Name That Thing

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ