when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras

Alternative form of when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. alternativeAlternative form of when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.
Cite this entry
APA

when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20you%20hear%20hoofbeats%2C%20look%20for%20horses%2C%20not%20zebras

MLA

“when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20you%20hear%20hoofbeats%2C%20look%20for%20horses%2C%20not%20zebras. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20you%20hear%20hoofbeats%2C%20look%20for%20horses%2C%20not%20zebras.

Source: when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.