unhorse
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cause to fall from a horse, as in battle; dislodge from the saddle.
Sir Gawain unhorsed the strange knight.
-
to defeat; overcome; dislodge, as from a position or office.
His vigorous campaign unhorsed his adversary.
verb
-
(usually passive) to knock or throw from a horse
-
to overthrow or dislodge, as from a powerful position
-
rare to unharness horses from (a carriage, etc)
Etymology
Origin of unhorse
First recorded in 1350–1400, unhorse is from the Middle English word unhorsen. See un- 2, horse
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.
See Examples For:
Unseating Bush was daunting, as it is to unhorse any incumbent president.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 23, 2019
The odds stood at about 3 to 1 that the urban aristocrat, Meighen, cannot politically, unhorse Countryman King, who has "broken in" many a horse of flesh and blood in his day.
From Time Magazine Archive
The current scandal seems as unlikely to unhorse Chairman Daniel Haughton, who has headed Lockheed since 1967, as any of the company's former crises.
From Time Magazine Archive
Shiniest Republican statewide hopeful: Newcomer William B. Bantz, 40, burly, personable former U.S. district attorney from Spokane, his party's nominee to unhorse Democrat Senator Henry M. Jackson.
From Time Magazine Archive
Dismount, dis-mownt′, v.i. to come down: to come off a horse.—v.t. to throw or bring down from any elevated place: to throw off their carriages, as cannon: to unhorse.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
This came after the outgoing speaker had already been unhorsed for his own ethical failings.
From Fox News ● Feb. 6, 2019
This is a group dedicated to rehabilitating the reputation of a king they say was much maligned by Shakespeare and supporters of Henry Tudor, who killed Richard after he was unhorsed in battle.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 22, 2015
The French king was himself unhorsed by this method, and only saved by his bodyguard.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2014
They unhorsed knights who then lay helplessly on the ground in their heavy armor.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2012
"And as tiresome," Littlefinger added, "though I daresay he should do well in the tourney. Last year he unhorsed the Hound, and it was only four years ago that he was champion."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
So, consider how the unhorsing of Cantor may strike some other Republicans.
From Washington Post
Slim Jim Carey, now the C.I.O.'s secretary-treasurer, knew that he had not the slimmest chance of unhorsing the top trio, but he carried his fight to the floor.
From Time Magazine Archive
In the fall of 1946 they headed a veterans' group that came within a lance-tip of unhorsing the political boss, Judge Cy Bond.
From Time Magazine Archive
There was even talk of unhorsing Old Guardsman Watson as Republican Leader and putting Senator McNary into his place.
From Time Magazine Archive
Yet he acquitted himself well, unhorsing Horas Redwyne in his first joust and one of the Freys in his second.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
