English-grammar-lessons.co.uk

menu

One-horse Race

What Does "One-horse Race" Mean?

homeidiomsOne-horse Race
"One-horse race" is an English idiom. It means "a competition or contest with only one viable or strong participant, making the outcome predictable."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "one-horse race" used in a sentence:
  • The championship turned out to be a one-horse race, as the dominant team won every match convincingly.
  • With no other candidates of significance, the election became a one-horse race, and the incumbent won easily.
  • In the absence of any serious challengers, the athlete's victory in the tournament was a one-horse race from the start.
meaning for one-horse race

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "One-horse Race" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

A Quick Test

You now know what "one-horse race" means, but are you good at English idioms? Let's see!
gold cup
Gold

gold cup
Silver

gold cup
Bronze

  • This test has questions.
  • A correct answer is worth 5 points.
  • You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
  • Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
  • Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
  • 🏆 If you beat one of the top 3 scores, you will be invited to apply for the Hall of Fame.
Scoring System

Guru (+)
Hero (+)
Captain (+)
Sergeant (+)
Recruit (+)
Help Us To Improve English Grammar Lessons
  • Do you disagree with something on this page?
  • Did you spot a typo?
Please tell us using this form.
Do you know your English idioms? idioms test

Take Our Test.

search icon

Search our idioms database. (We have 10,000+ idioms!)