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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hound distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hound are badger, bait, chivy, heckle, and hector. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

When could badger be used to replace hound?

The words badger and hound can be used in similar contexts, but badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

Where would bait be a reasonable alternative to hound?

While the synonyms bait and hound are close in meaning, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When is it sensible to use chivy instead of hound?

Although the words chivy and hound have much in common, chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

In what contexts can heckle take the place of hound?

The words heckle and hound are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

When can hector be used instead of hound?

While in some cases nearly identical to hound, hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hound
Noun
Luke Worthington has chased lions in Wyoming’s mountains with his ragtag pack of seven hounds for almost 20 years. Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025 With enough twists to keep you guessing the killer’s identity until the end — plus a smattering of sweet scenes — this one works for horror hounds and a heartfelt holiday. Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
The need is vast, but logistical problems hound efforts to keep people who are imprisoned on a regular schedule of medication. Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025 Dias is often seen hounding opposition strikers all the way back towards their own goal; if the ball is cleared up towards them, the Portuguese will be right there in their back, and snapping at any loose ball, even if that takes him up near the corner flag. Sam Lee, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hound
Noun
  • According to LifeLine, the DeKalb shelter takes in 135 dogs a week on average.
    Jim Gaines, ajc, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The remains were found by two men who were running their dogs and looking for rocks, according to DNASolves.
    CBS News, CBS News, 13 Sep. 2023
Noun
  • Together, Nicky and Emma blend creativity and hospitality, making Aure a must-visit destination for fine dining lovers seeking something truly special.
    Noel Burgess, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Tom Boland, the chief marketing officer at Bojangles, spoke about why this dish will be a hit for so many brunch lovers.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Hackman was among the most accomplished actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
    SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • There are spells, curses, vendettas, a twist villain, giant dragons who turn into humanoid warriors and many other creatures populating the world of this gargantuan feat of eye-popping computer animation.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Juno likes cats a little too much and would do best in a forever home without a feline friend to chase.
    Trish Stinger and, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025
  • This synthesis — called hybrid intelligence — ensures that technology addresses real needs rather than chasing novelty for novelty’s sake.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In the continued fight for racial justice and amid reinvigorated efforts to erase Black contributions to American history, Wells would urge activists to be steadfast in speaking truth into the world and advocating relentlessly for a more racially just America.
    Amy Gais / Made by History, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
  • In a potential landmark action, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency has privately urged the Trump administration to reconsider a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for U.S. action against climate change.
    MATTHEW DALY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Only remove seed heads, small stems and suckers from crape myrtles. 51.
    Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2025
  • More great reads Column: Super Bowl sucker no more.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Slinging a sports coat over his pajamas, Long pulls up to a curb and finds Tay (Dustin Nguyen), the Vietnamese speaker, plus two silent brutes, Eddie (Phi Vu) and Aden (Dali Benssalah), who muscle into his car and take over everything: the seating arrangements, the air freshener and their driver.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
  • The same Cromwellian brutes that persecuted witches in the English village of Warboys in 1589 are alive and well today to bully LGBTQ folks, immigrants, physicians trying to save lives of pregnant women and even scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • On that note…being concise doesn’t mean being a total jerk either.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Rockwell's Officer Dixon, a mama’s boy with a screw loose and a history of torturing Black prisoners, is a target of her ire − that is, until the actor carefully adds layers to what could be a one-note jerk. 14.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hound. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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