horse race
Americannoun
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a contest of speed among horses that either are ridden by jockeys or pull sulkies and their drivers.
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any formidable contest or competition.
The primary election is expected to be a horse race among four opponents.
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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.
There’s a neck-and-neck commercial horse race reshaping businesses and the economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
It’s still unclear who is winning the horse race, as there has been no public polling yet.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
And so began their journey as what Islas calls “horse parents” — a journey that has taken them to the brink of starting a horse in the world’s most famous horse race.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2026
Media outlets, including Barron’s, cited the shifting odds as the process began to resemble a horse race.
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
At the mention of a horse race, the children began snorting and rearing up like three spirited ponies.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.