dark horses
Unexpected potential winners
A dark horse is a competitor about whom little is known, making their chances hard to predict.
The term comes from horse racing, where an unfamiliar entry might surprise bettors.
It now applies broadly to anyone who emerges unexpectedly as a serious contender: She was a dark horse in the primary but ended up winning the nomination.
A dark horse candidate often benefits from low expectations.
One excluded from group
- longshotUnlikely to succeed
- underdogPresumed loser beforehand
- sleeperOne at rest
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
challenger · unlikely · uphill · comeback · upset · unknown · unheralded · unranked
One at rest
- latecomerPerson arriving past time
- late bloomerOne who matures slowly
- breakoutSudden escape from restraint
- emergingComing into view
untapped · undiscovered · unproven · raw talent · diamond in the rough · rising star · promising · budding
Disturb, topple, or shock
- stunnerPerson or thing overwhelming
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
wildcard · revelation · anomaly · outlier · spoiler · bolt from the blue · curveball · astonishment
One competing seriously
- rivalOne who competes against
- competitorOne striving against others
- candidatePerson seeking selection
- nomineeOne proposed for position
hopeful · entrant · challenger · frontrunner · field · race · contest · election
outsider
One excluded from group
overlooked · challenger · unlikely · uphill · comeback · upset · unknown · unheralded · unranked · unseeded
sleeper
One at rest
- latecomerPerson arriving past time
- late bloomerOne who matures slowly
- breakoutSudden escape from restraint
emerging · untapped · undiscovered · unproven · raw talent · diamond in the rough · rising star · promising · budding · unsung
upset
Disturb, topple, or shock
- stunnerPerson or thing overwhelming
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
unpredictable · wildcard · revelation · anomaly · outlier · spoiler · bolt from the blue · curveball · astonishment · bombshell
contender
One competing seriously
- rivalOne who competes against
- competitorOne striving against others
- candidatePerson seeking selection
nominee · hopeful · entrant · challenger · frontrunner · field · race · contest · election · primary
- horse racingthoroughbred, flat race, jockey, jockeys, thoroughbreds
- competitorscompetitor, contestant, competitors, rivals, opponents
- Upsetsupset, upset victory, upset win, underdog victory, underdog win
- candidatescandidate, candidates, nominee, nominees, contender
- championschampions, gold medalists, titleholders, victors, world champions
- unpredictablessurprises, chance, randomness, uncertainty, unpredictables
dark horsesfrontrunners
Those leading a competition
favorites · front-runners · top seeds · sure things · safe bets
dark horseshousehold names
Widely recognized public figures
big names · known quantities · stars · superstars · A-listers
dark, horse, darkness, nightmare, darken, horses, horseshoe, darkened, darkest