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.
That angst was a big reason why 64-year-old Sanae Takaichi surged from dark horse to Japan’s first female prime minister in October.
From Barron's • Jan. 8, 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
He found the dark horse in the night and stood caressing the warm skin, thick bristly mane, feeding sugar, talking.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
