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dead horse

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noun
  1. something that has ceased to be useful or relevant.
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Idioms
  1. beat/flog a dead horse, to persist in pursuing or trying to revive interest in a project or subject that has lost its usefulness or relevance.
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Origin of dead horse

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for dead horse

Historical Examples

  • So side by side and hand in hand the two of us walked out into Dead-Horse Lake.

    The Prairie Child

    Arthur Stringer

Idioms and Phrases with dead horse

dead horse

see beat a dead horse.

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.