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
However, the market drop Wednesday was driven by a selloff in semiconductor stocks, with Advanced Micro Devices falling nearly 16% after earnings, and market darlings like SanDisk and Micron dropping by double-digits on a percentage basis.
—
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Along with cream cheese and sour cream, this trio of dairy darlings melts into a rich and ultra-satisfying sauce to coat noodles and ground beef.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
The standoff turned the Bundys into the first family of the Patriot Movement and darlings of conservative media.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
Some of the darlings on the ground included businesses like Bloom Energy, which builds fuel cells that provide onsite generation.
—Justin Worland, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Straight-leg and cigarette jeans (darlings of the ‘80s and ‘90s) are the top nominees here.
—Andrea Bossi, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
While sitting front row at the Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Week Spring/Summer 2026 show on January 28, the London society darlings seemingly nodded to their status as British sartorial tastemakers with an NSFW twist on power dressing.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
The stock market — powered by AI darlings like Nvidia, which in October became the first company in history to hit a $5 trillion valuation — notched multiple records.
—Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
Hawke seems most likely to still make it into the category as well, as one of the main critical darlings of the season, but faces the challenge of likely being the sole nominee for his film.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Along with cream cheese and sour cream, this trio of dairy darlings melts into a rich and ultra-satisfying sauce to coat noodles and ground beef.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
The standoff turned the Bundys into the first family of the Patriot Movement and darlings of conservative media.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
Some of the darlings on the ground included businesses like Bloom Energy, which builds fuel cells that provide onsite generation.
—Justin Worland, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Straight-leg and cigarette jeans (darlings of the ‘80s and ‘90s) are the top nominees here.
—Andrea Bossi, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
While sitting front row at the Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Week Spring/Summer 2026 show on January 28, the London society darlings seemingly nodded to their status as British sartorial tastemakers with an NSFW twist on power dressing.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
The stock market — powered by AI darlings like Nvidia, which in October became the first company in history to hit a $5 trillion valuation — notched multiple records.
—Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
Hawke seems most likely to still make it into the category as well, as one of the main critical darlings of the season, but faces the challenge of likely being the sole nominee for his film.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darlings
Noun
-
The collection includes classic Italian dishes like spaghetti carbonara and cacio e pepe, TikTok’s own feta pasta, vegetarian favorites like savory pasta with beans, and plenty of weeknight one-pot dinners.—
Joe Sevier,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Spanx’s Presidents’ Day sale has markdowns on more than 700 items, with our favorites starting at $29 for the best-selling Everyday Leggings.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
However, there are several couples from earlier seasons who have gone the distance, including America’s sweethearts from season 1, Lauren and Cameron.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
28 Jan. 2026
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The couple, high school sweethearts with six kids and 20 grandchildren, sought to diversify their business ventures with the purchase, Mark Jones told the Examiner.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
May these two sweeties never travel to Russia ever again.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For museum lovers, the California Academy of Sciences is a must-visit that combines marine life, planetarium shows, and a tropical rainforest biome under one roof.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
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For animal lovers, pop over to the island of Vieques where hundreds of wild horses roam free.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darlings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darlings. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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