Illustration of thoroughbred
- Thoroughbred
thor·ough·bred
ˈthər-ə-ˌbred 
ˈthə-rə-
1
: bred from the best blood through a long line : purebred
thoroughbred dogs
2
a
capitalized
: of, relating to, or being a Thoroughbred horse
b
: having characteristics resembling those of a Thoroughbred
3
: thoroughly trained or skilled
a thoroughbred soldier
1
: a purebred or pedigreed animal
2
capitalized
: any of an English breed of light speedy horses kept chiefly for racing that originated from crosses between English mares of uncertain ancestry and Arabian stallions
3
: a thoroughly educated or skilled person
Synonyms
Examples of thoroughbred in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 26 Mar. 2024
When Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022 at age 96, her eldest son and successor King Charles inherited her 100 thoroughbred horses, The Guardian reported, though almost a third were soon sold off.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Pushing back on the effort are the hefty gaming interests that have taken root in only in recent years in Virginia, where historic resistance to betting beyond thoroughbred horse racing crumbled as casinos started popping up in neighboring states.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024
The team runs around Ferndale’s half-mile thoroughbred race track on Mondays near the high school.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2023
And while the objection raised by Del Mar and Santa Anita focused on the dwindling horse population in California being able to sustain a two-circuit system in California, a letter sent to the CHRB about the future of Santa Anita raised questions about thoroughbred racing in Southern California.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
Thousands of thoroughbred fans flock to the farm each year to get up-close looks at the retirees, with Blowen sometimes leading the tours.
—Bruce Schreiner, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024
Barbara Jo Rubin becomes the first female jockey to win a race at an American thoroughbred track.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
The Stronach Group, which does business as 1/ST, operates Santa Anita and several other thoroughbred tracks in North America.
—Tim Reynolds, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024
The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
Each time the pack galloped closer to the spectators, the rhythmic thuds of the thoroughbreds echoed across the field.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024
The couple own about two dozen horses, a mix of thoroughbreds and quarter horses that mostly run in New Mexico and Arizona.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023
The Derby is open to 3-year-old thoroughbreds who compile enough points in Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races.
—James Graham, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023
All thoroughbreds turn a year older on the first day of the new year.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024
That first year, thoroughbreds had fatal injuries at the rate of two per 1,000 starts.
—Joe Drape, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023
That first year, thoroughbreds had fatal injuries at the rate of 2 per 1,000 starts.
—Joe Drape, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2023
She was surrounded by teeny-boppers with shiny boots and beautiful thoroughbreds with braided manes and tails.
—Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Adjective
The trailer carried seven thoroughbred horses, including three that were pronounced dead at the scene and four that were taken to an animal hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries, police said.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 26 Mar. 2024
When Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022 at age 96, her eldest son and successor King Charles inherited her 100 thoroughbred horses, The Guardian reported, though almost a third were soon sold off.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Pushing back on the effort are the hefty gaming interests that have taken root in only in recent years in Virginia, where historic resistance to betting beyond thoroughbred horse racing crumbled as casinos started popping up in neighboring states.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024
The team runs around Ferndale’s half-mile thoroughbred race track on Mondays near the high school.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2023
And while the objection raised by Del Mar and Santa Anita focused on the dwindling horse population in California being able to sustain a two-circuit system in California, a letter sent to the CHRB about the future of Santa Anita raised questions about thoroughbred racing in Southern California.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
Thousands of thoroughbred fans flock to the farm each year to get up-close looks at the retirees, with Blowen sometimes leading the tours.
—Bruce Schreiner, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024
Barbara Jo Rubin becomes the first female jockey to win a race at an American thoroughbred track.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
The Stronach Group, which does business as 1/ST, operates Santa Anita and several other thoroughbred tracks in North America.
—Tim Reynolds, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024
Noun
One bottle will be donated to The Backside Learning Center, a charity that assists families who work on the backside of Churchill Downs caring for the thoroughbreds.
—The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
Each time the pack galloped closer to the spectators, the rhythmic thuds of the thoroughbreds echoed across the field.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024
The couple own about two dozen horses, a mix of thoroughbreds and quarter horses that mostly run in New Mexico and Arizona.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023
The Derby is open to 3-year-old thoroughbreds who compile enough points in Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races.
—James Graham, BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2023
All thoroughbreds turn a year older on the first day of the new year.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024
That first year, thoroughbreds had fatal injuries at the rate of two per 1,000 starts.
—Joe Drape, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023
That first year, thoroughbreds had fatal injuries at the rate of 2 per 1,000 starts.
—Joe Drape, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2023
She was surrounded by teeny-boppers with shiny boots and beautiful thoroughbreds with braided manes and tails.
—Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thoroughbred.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near thoroughbred
Cite this Entry
“Thoroughbred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thoroughbred. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
thoroughbred
1 of 2 adjective
thor·ough·bred
ˈthər-ə-ˌbred
ˈthə-rə-
1
: bred from the best stock through a long line : purebred
thoroughbred dogs
2
capitalized
: of, relating to, or being a Thoroughbred horse
thoroughbred
2 of 2 noun1
: a purebred or pedigreed animal
2
capitalized
: any of an English breed of light speedy horses kept chiefly for racing
More from Merriam-Webster on thoroughbred
Nglish: Translation of thoroughbred for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thoroughbred
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