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Definition of "stalking-horse" [stalk•ing-horse]

  • Something used to cover one's true purpose; a decoy. (noun)
  • A sham candidate put forward to conceal the candidacy of another or to divide the opposition. (noun)
  • A horse trained to conceal the hunter while stalking. (noun)
  • A canvas screen made in the figure of a horse, used for similar concealment. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "stalking-horse" in a sentence
  • "The Monarch-led group, also Blockbuster bondholders, offered $290 million for the movie-rental chain in February, a so-called stalking-horse bid that others had to top to win the company."
  • "To capture the opening bid, or so-called stalking-horse spot, Phoenix investor Jahm Najafi 's firm beat out another private-equity investor, Alec Gores ."
  • "Both are in talks to become a so-called "stalking-horse" bidder that would make an opening offer others must top in a looming bankruptcy-court auction."