dark horse

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 42-year-old dark horse contender has recently made more efforts in courting the Latino vote through meme-y internet tactics and has even employed Spanish to create a new nickname for Bass — “Karen Bassura.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Three-time losing finalist Medvedev is a dark horse after winning the lead-up Brisbane International, while American Learner Tien spearheads the new guard fresh from lifting the ATP Next Gen title.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

After more than a century of false starts, the dark horse of the renewable-energy industry seems finally poised to make a significant dent in America’s insatiable appetite for new sources of power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

By some accounts, he was a dark horse in a conclave race which many predicted would deliver unto us a Pope Pizzaballa.

From Salon • May 10, 2025

And Jan Dorlich, we discover, is a dark horse as an actor.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron