warhorse
noun
war·horse
ˈwȯr-ˌhȯrs 
1
: a horse used in war : charger
2
: a person with long experience in a field
especially
: a veteran soldier or public person (such as a politician)
3
: something (such as a work of art or musical composition) that has become overly familiar or hackneyed due to much repetition in the standard repertoire
Examples of warhorse in a Sentence
the Democratic warhorse in the Senate
a general who describes himself as an old warhorse
a new production of an old warhorse
Recent Examples on the Web
Going to celebrate the Passover, Jesus chose to enter the city on the back of a colt, in stark contrast to the warhorses and chariots of Roman armies.
—
Lynne Silva-Breen, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, that warhorse of English traditionalism, is mentioned six times, and his plangent music—invoking a lost, idyllic England; a greener, more pleasant land—could easily be the novel’s soundtrack.
—Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024
At 33, Watt is young enough not to be tired of even the most familiar rock radio warhorses.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2024
All those slick remakes of beloved old properties, all those paint-by-numbers genre warhorses with beloved movie stars in the lead.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for warhorse 
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Lynne Silva-Breen, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, that warhorse of English traditionalism, is mentioned six times, and his plangent music—invoking a lost, idyllic England; a greener, more pleasant land—could easily be the novel’s soundtrack.
—Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024
At 33, Watt is young enough not to be tired of even the most familiar rock radio warhorses.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2024
All those slick remakes of beloved old properties, all those paint-by-numbers genre warhorses with beloved movie stars in the lead.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for warhorse
Dictionary Entries Near warhorse
Cite this Entry
“Warhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warhorse. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
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