hankered; hankering
ˈhaŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 
: to have a strong or persistent desire : yearn
—often used with for or after
Examples of hanker in a Sentence
By the middle of the winter, they were hankering for a warm day.
Recent Examples on the Web
That means fans hankering for a little something sweet can pick up an individual Cookie Dough Brownie at the café as a reward for saving all that money on premium bath towels, baby wipes, tires, and tortellini.
—
Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2025
Arsenal and Germany have frequently fretted about not having a genuine centre-forward and hankered after a more traditional No 9, during which time Havertz has performed admirably in the role.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2025
When hankering for some nuts, grab a handful of shells and crack them open.
—Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
This annoys his wife, who hankers after Bingley (sight unseen) as a future son-in-law.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hanker
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.
Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2025
Arsenal and Germany have frequently fretted about not having a genuine centre-forward and hankered after a more traditional No 9, during which time Havertz has performed admirably in the role.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2025
When hankering for some nuts, grab a handful of shells and crack them open.
—Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
This annoys his wife, who hankers after Bingley (sight unseen) as a future son-in-law.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hanker
Cite this Entry
“Hanker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hanker. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share