dark horses

noun

plural of dark horse
1
as in stalking horses

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2
as in long shots

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dark horses
  1. competitors
  2. plays
  3. favorites
  4. contestants
  5. entrants
  6. qualifiers
  7. entries
  8. candidates
Noun
  • If our fleet shares infrastructure with competitors' fleets, coordination failure is a joint risk that no single board controls.
    — Anjana Susarla, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • The lender’s commitment adds to an existing undrawn facility set up by competitors, boosting the capital available for OpenAI to more than $5 billion.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of competitors
Noun
  • Those include infrastructure plays, from China to Latin America, the report said.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 7 July 2026
  • Why had Balogun been punished so severely when other seemingly similar plays in this World Cup had avoided punishment altogether?
    — Becky Sullivan, NPR, 6 July 2026
Definition of plays
Noun
  • Despite entering the match as overwhelming favorites, Argentina is approaching the match cautiously.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • Hanging baskets brimming with geraniums, begonias, petunias, and other summertime favorites can liven up front porches, patios, and balconies with fantastic color.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026
Definition of favorites
Noun
  • The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in New York on July 4, where contestants ate several days' worth of calories in just 10 minutes.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The arrest comes after two female contestants on the reality series alleged in a BBC report published in May that they were raped by their husbands while filming the show.
    — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of contestants
Noun
  • Today, the nation spends billions to screen entrants using cutting-edge biometric tools, and thousands of Customs and Border Protection officers are stationed at every international airport and port of entry in the country.
    — Amanda Frost, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
  • New entrants without that track record face a very different market — smaller, less marketable targets, and deal terms for both the IPO and de-SPAC financing that reflect the skepticism of a capital base that learned expensive lessons not long ago.
    — Drew Bernstein, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of entrants
Noun
  • For the first time in quite a while, the western and eastern Europe qualifiers have been merged into one super qualifier, featuring top teams from both regions.
    — Mike Stubbs, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Definition of qualifiers
Noun
  • Prosecutors have alleged that Millete physically abused May, pointing to her past journal entries.
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • After tracking and testing this category through the spring, my read is that two vendors, Microsoft and Amazon, have credible first entries in this segment, yet this first generation still shows real gaps.
    — Jason Andersen, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of entries
Noun
  • There were 4,183 ballots cast in the Kings/Ducks voting, and four candidates received at least 75% of the vote.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • His youngest daughter is now among the six candidates in the special election that will decide who finishes his term.
    — Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of candidates
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.

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dark horse
dark horses
darkish
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Cite this Entry

“Dark horses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dark%20horses. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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