1
as in favorites
a person or thing that is preferred over others
for a while that candidate was the darling of the news media and could do no wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sweethearts
a person with whom one is in love
anything you say, darling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darlings
Those making more bookish and insular styles of the genre, like the Magnetic Fields and Belle and Sebastian, weren’t being worshipped as critical darlings; in some cases their records hadn’t made it to America yet.
—
David Glickman, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, avant-garde heavy rockers Deftones became unexpected TikTok darlings and arena stars.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The Illini will now face a Big Ten foe and Cinderella darlings, Iowa, in the Elite Eight on Saturday.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
But for the most part, Knight hesitated to kill his darlings.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Think viral hits like Laneige and TirTir, industry staples like Jung Saem Mool and Clio, and indie darlings like AOU.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 19 Mar. 2026
Following her roles in Marty Supreme and I Love LA, Odessa A’zion swiftly emerged as one of Hollywood’s new darlings and a key character of this awards season.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
During Hollywood’s Golden Age, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher were among the darlings of the entertainment industry.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 17 Mar. 2026
My beautiful girls, my darlings, who are suddenly women.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
David Glickman, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, avant-garde heavy rockers Deftones became unexpected TikTok darlings and arena stars.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The Illini will now face a Big Ten foe and Cinderella darlings, Iowa, in the Elite Eight on Saturday.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
But for the most part, Knight hesitated to kill his darlings.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Think viral hits like Laneige and TirTir, industry staples like Jung Saem Mool and Clio, and indie darlings like AOU.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 19 Mar. 2026
Following her roles in Marty Supreme and I Love LA, Odessa A’zion swiftly emerged as one of Hollywood’s new darlings and a key character of this awards season.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
During Hollywood’s Golden Age, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher were among the darlings of the entertainment industry.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 17 Mar. 2026
My beautiful girls, my darlings, who are suddenly women.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darlings
Noun
-
Leaderboard 2026 Masters odds and betting favorites Scottie Scheffler is favored to win his third green jacket in five years at +550 by BetMGM and FanDuel.—
AJC Sports,
AJC.com,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Quebec Nordiques are the favorites for the top draft pick.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Though Metayer Bowen and her husband had only been married for a few years, they were described by friends as high school sweethearts.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Another set of high school sweethearts, Kris and Jessica Bryant wed in their native Las Vegas in January 2017.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
May these two sweeties never travel to Russia ever again.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Uncompromising lovers of luxury.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
While the storm is looming, there are new glimmers of possibility—friends can become lovers, strangers can become friends on the subway, the supermarket aisles are charged with meaning.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darlings. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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