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 no announcement of a winner planned until long after this year’s edition is in the books, festival organizers have been tight-lipped about front-runners and dark horses.
—
Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Thankfully, Flow will remain a dark horse for the trophy, as the assumed animation front-runner, The Wild Robot, was also recognized for its Score and Sound.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2025
Alas, that was not to be, but with Torres now gaining momentum as this race’s dark horse, frontrunner Demi Moore should watch her back.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
Who’s your dark horse Cup contender? Must be projected as a middle-of-the-pack team, between 85 and 100 points by Dom’s model at the start of the season.
—Sean Gentille, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dark horse 
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Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Thankfully, Flow will remain a dark horse for the trophy, as the assumed animation front-runner, The Wild Robot, was also recognized for its Score and Sound.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2025
Alas, that was not to be, but with Torres now gaining momentum as this race’s dark horse, frontrunner Demi Moore should watch her back.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
Who’s your dark horse Cup contender? Must be projected as a middle-of-the-pack team, between 85 and 100 points by Dom’s model at the start of the season.
—Sean Gentille, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dark horse
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 8 Feb. 2025.
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