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Definitions

dark horse

NOUN
remote possibility
Synonyms
STRONGEST
also-ran long shot sleeper underdog
WEAK
hundred-to-one shot improbability little chance little opportunity outside chance outside shot poor bet poor lookout poor possibility poor prognosis poor prospect slim chance small chance stalking horse unexpected winner unknown unknown quantity unlikelihood unlikely winner upsetter

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.

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

Surprisingly, none of the three claimed Austen’s best-known novel, “Pride and Prejudice,” while dark horse candidate “Mansfield Park” — Austen’s far less sparkly, even somber third novel — appeared to win the day.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2025

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