knight in shining armor

Idioms

A rescuer or defender, as in What this political party needs is a knight in shining armor to change its tarnished image. This metaphoric expression alludes to a medieval knight. [Mid-1900s]

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.

Kiffin is, and always will be, a total blight on USC football, so why make him out to be this knight in shining armor?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2023

“I thought I was being her knight in shining armor coming to her rescue,” he said.

From New York Times • Apr. 23, 2021

While fighting a fire-breathing dragon, the prince falls in love with a handsome knight in shining armor.

From Washington Post • Sep. 27, 2020

Again and again, the message is clear — no dark knight in shining armor or maniac in clown makeup is coming to save any of them.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2020

Mom smirks at him with the confidence of a lady who long ago figured out how to do things without a knight in shining armor to save her.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023