Dictionary

stalking horse

noun stalk·ing horse \ˈst-kiŋ-\

: someone or something that is used to hide a true purpose; especially : a candidate for a political office or position who has no real chance of winning but is being used by a political party to weaken the support for an opposing party, to find out if another candidate might be successful, etc.

Full Definition of STALKING HORSE

1
:  a horse or a figure like a horse behind which a hunter stalks game
2
:  something used to mask a purpose
3
:  a candidate put forward to divide the opposition or to conceal someone's real candidacy
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First Known Use of STALKING HORSE

1519

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