hunt

1 of 2

verb

hunted; hunting; hunts

transitive verb

1
a
: to pursue for food or in sport
hunt buffalo
b
: to manage in the search for game
hunts a pack of dogs
2
a
: to pursue with intent to capture
hunted the escapees
b
: to search out : seek
3
: to drive or chase especially by harrying
members … were hunted from their homesJ. T. Adams
4
: to traverse in search of prey
hunts the woods

intransitive verb

1
: to take part in a hunt
2
: to attempt to find something
3
: to oscillate alternately to each side (as of a neutral point) or to run alternately faster and slower
used especially of a device or machine

hunt

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act, the practice, or an instance of hunting
2
: a group of mounted hunters and their hunting dogs

Examples of hunt in a Sentence

Verb The wolf was hunting its prey. These birds have been hunted almost to extinction. a gun used for hunting squirrels He likes to hunt and fish. She hunted around in the closet for a pair of shoes. Police hunted the escaped prisoners through several states. Noun They went on a hunt. We finally found a good restaurant after a long hunt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The inner coast whales feed in shallow coastal waters, while outer coast whales hunt in deeper water. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2024 Set a century before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Amandla Stenberg’s mysterious character appears to be hunting Jedi during a time of peace near the end of the High Republic era. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024 When Cincinnati Public Schools' board was hunting for a new leader in 2021, the board contracted with an advisory group out of Chicago for $75,000. The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2024 In January 2013, the co-conspirator from Montana entered the US with undeclared biological tissue from a Marco Polo argali sheep that had been hunted in Kyrgyzstan , according to court documents. Ashley R. Williams, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Michigan has had year-round coyote hunting since 2016. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 Her newfound power brings her in contact with three young girls (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Celeste O’Connor) who are being hunted by an evil explorer. Anna Tingley, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 How Niacin Affects Heart Health The researchers wanted to hunt for any markers in blood that might reveal new risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Staff Author, Health, 14 Mar. 2024 Shelton, a single father with five kids, two living at home, doesn’t want to hunt squatters forever but demand has been overwhelming. Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Noun
Ages 3-4 hunt at soccer fields, ages 5-6 hunt at baseball outfield, and ages 7-8 hunt at basketball court. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 22 Mar. 2024 Except this year, people may have to brace themselves for a different type of hunt—finding good deals on overpriced chocolate eggs. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 22 Mar. 2024 Manhunt is an adaptation of a nonfiction bestseller about the hunt for President Lincoln’s killer in 1865 and Menzies plays Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s Secretary of War and the lead detective—of a kind—in the search for the man who pulled the trigger, John Wilkes Booth. Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 Police visited the cottage during the nationwide hunt for the paintings. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Egg hunt: Free egg hunt from 9 to 11 a.m. March 16 at Ocean Air Recreation Center, 4770 Fairport Way. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Random encounters seem to point her in the right direction, but what was hoped to be a journey of self-discovery gradually becomes a hunt for the monster itself. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Thus kicks off a cat-and-mouse game, or rather, a beast-and-beauty hunt in which Elodie must Lara Croft her way through caverns, over cliffs, and under pools of water, putting together clues left by her late princess predecessors in order to avoid becoming this season’s snack. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 For 100 straight days after the Colosseum opened in 80 C.E., tens of thousands of citizens packed into the amphitheater to ogle staged hunts and gladiatorial combat — or, to put it bluntly, the systematic slaughter of animals and men. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hunt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English huntian; akin to Old English hentan to seize

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunt was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hunt

Cite this Entry

“Hunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunt. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hunt

1 of 2 verb
1
a
: to seek out and chase (game) for food or sport
hunt squirrel
b
: to use in hunting game
hunts a pack of dogs
2
a
: to chase in order to capture
b
: to search out : look for : seek
hunting for my gloves
3
: to drive or chase especially by repeated attacks
hunt a criminal out of town
4
: to search through looking for prey
hunts the woods

hunt

2 of 2 noun
1
: the action, the practice, or an instance of hunting
2
: a group of hunters
especially : a group of hunters on horseback and their hunting dogs

Biographical Definition

Hunt 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

(James Henry) Leigh 1784–1859 English writer

Hunt

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Sir R(ichard) Timothy 1943–     British molecular biologist

Hunt

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

(William) Hol*man ˈhōl-mən How to pronounce Hunt (audio) 1827–1910 English painter

More from Merriam-Webster on hunt

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