as in hobby
an activity outside of one's regular occupation that is engaged in primarily for pleasure
oil painting became the hobbyhorse of her long years of retirement
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Recent Examples of hobbyhorse
It is also blighted by Tanenhaus’s hobbyhorses, which are especially evident in his caviling when promoting his book.
—
The Editors, National Review, 2 June 2025
Both parties instead must make the case that federal funding for research is not a partisan hobbyhorse but a source of long-term economic and political strength.
—David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
The treatment of white farmers in South Africa has been a hobbyhorse of South African X owner Elon Musk for quite a while.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025
In 2017, the National Institutes of Health asked Hotez to meet with Kennedy to move him off the hobbyhorse of a vaccine-autism link.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Mergers and acquisitions of media companies is an area squarely in the FCC’s purview, which cannot be said of Section 230 and more tech-adjacent regulation that have also been Carr hobbyhorses.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Never mind the crime issue or that favorite Trumpian hobbyhorse, immigration and the border.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
The Editors, National Review, 2 June 2025
Both parties instead must make the case that federal funding for research is not a partisan hobbyhorse but a source of long-term economic and political strength.
—David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
The treatment of white farmers in South Africa has been a hobbyhorse of South African X owner Elon Musk for quite a while.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025
In 2017, the National Institutes of Health asked Hotez to meet with Kennedy to move him off the hobbyhorse of a vaccine-autism link.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Mergers and acquisitions of media companies is an area squarely in the FCC’s purview, which cannot be said of Section 230 and more tech-adjacent regulation that have also been Carr hobbyhorses.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Never mind the crime issue or that favorite Trumpian hobbyhorse, immigration and the border.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobbyhorse
Noun
-
Set aside time for your hobbies and passions, as Venus enters Cancer on July 30.—
Liz Simmons,
StyleCaster,
24 June 2025
-
Just as his dubious surname evokes doubts about his real identity, Joe’s outward-facing persona doesn’t exactly line up with his dangerous hobby.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
In the pursuit of creating no trash, the serial entrepreneur ditched take-out coffee, plastic utensils, food packaging, bottled body wash, and even throw-away diapers.—
Sara Braun,
Fortune,
21 June 2025
-
Two hours later, the pursuit ended with Boelter crawling to police.—
Nathan Layne,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Still, shedding years of public perception is a daunting task for a sports apparel company and New Balance remains a relatively small player in a massive industry.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
-
The most valuable sports broadcasting property in town could be one that carries the Dodgers and Lakers.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
These avocations can take many shapes—traveling, golf, time with family, snowboarding, knitting, hunting, gardening, fishing, church choir, college football, crossword puzzles, theater, cycling, and walking.—
Wes Moss,
Forbes,
17 Dec. 2024
-
What began as an avocation turned into a serious occupation, as Fox Solomon turned to documenting the remnants of segregation visible in Chattanooga and across the South.—
Christina Cacouris,
The New Yorker,
24 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
Especially not for a few minutes worth of amusement.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 June 2025
-
The short clip has garnered more than 660,000 views and over 183,000 likes to date, drawing both widespread sympathy and amusement from viewers on TikTok.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hobbyhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobbyhorse. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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