horse race
Americannoun
-
a contest of speed among horses that either are ridden by jockeys or pull sulkies and their drivers.
-
any formidable contest or competition.
The primary election is expected to be a horse race among four opponents.
Other Word Forms
- horse racing noun
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.
But the annual horse race that is Oscars season, with movie stars and filmmakers jockeying for glory, has surged in activity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
Political pundits predict a three horse race between Labour, Green and Reform.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 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
That although we pay attention to politics, we care more about local issues than the electoral horse race?
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024
“People who never saw a horse race in their lives are taking sides. If the issue were deferred another week, there would be a civil war between the War Admiral Americans and the Seabiscuit Americans.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
