back the wrong horse
Bet on losers
To back the wrong horse is to support a person, idea, or course of action that turns out to fail.
The phrase comes from betting on horse races—if you back a horse that loses, you lose your stake.
The company backed the wrong horse when they invested in that technology.
The expression implies a misjudgment that becomes clear only in hindsight.
- gambleStake on uncertain outcome
- bad betUnwise wager
- misjudgeEvaluate incorrectly
- misreadInterpret text incorrectly
- betRisked stake on outcome
poor judgment · risk · regret · buyer's remorse · stake · repercussions · miscalculation · mistaken belief · disillusionment · egg on face · overconfidence · hindsight · shortsightedness · high stakes · long shot · misplay · wager · underdog
back the wrong horseback the right horse
Support the winning side
pick a winner · hit the nail on the head · see it coming · hedge your bets
back the wrong horsehit the jackpot
Win a major prize
strike gold · come out on top · land on one's feet · win big · clean up
backs, backed, backing, backer, backside, backward, backwards, wrong, wrongly