hot pursuit
noun
: close and avid or intense pursuit
specifically
: close continuous pursuit of a fleeing suspected lawbreaker or hostile military force especially across territorial lines
Examples of hot pursuit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After nearly seven minutes of hot pursuit, the subway crashes, the thug exits and Doyle, following on foot, corners him on the stairs.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2023
In hot pursuit, going after individuals that he’s invited into this country?
—Dallas News, 8 Dec. 2022
Police are in hot pursuit.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2022
But even as actual Nazis give hot pursuit, her biggest problem in many respects is Capt.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 29 Aug. 2022
The more likely scenario consists of being in such hot pursuit of optimization that the meaning of the factors being used is neglected or not immediately grasped as problematic.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 July 2022
On a street near Union Square, the city’s shopping hub, Santa Claus is seen in hot pursuit of a Grinch-like character who is holding a bag of loot.
—Joel Umanzor, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Dec. 2022
In the dead of a moonless night, lost in a bayou, with slave trackers in hot pursuit, all hope seems lost.
—Bruce Handy, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2022
But be warned: Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of this wayward hare.
—Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 2 Dec. 2022
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2023
In hot pursuit, going after individuals that he’s invited into this country?
—Dallas News, 8 Dec. 2022
Police are in hot pursuit.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2022
But even as actual Nazis give hot pursuit, her biggest problem in many respects is Capt.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 29 Aug. 2022
The more likely scenario consists of being in such hot pursuit of optimization that the meaning of the factors being used is neglected or not immediately grasped as problematic.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 July 2022
On a street near Union Square, the city’s shopping hub, Santa Claus is seen in hot pursuit of a Grinch-like character who is holding a bag of loot.
—Joel Umanzor, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Dec. 2022
In the dead of a moonless night, lost in a bayou, with slave trackers in hot pursuit, all hope seems lost.
—Bruce Handy, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2022
But be warned: Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of this wayward hare.
—Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 2 Dec. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hot pursuit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1743, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hot pursuit
Cite this Entry
“Hot pursuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20pursuit. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Legal Definition
hot pursuit
noun
hot pur·suit
: the immediate and continuous pursuit by police officers of a fleeing suspect whose possible escape justifies the failure of the officers to obtain a warrant before making an entry, search, seizure, or arrest
More from Merriam-Webster on hot pursuit
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hot pursuit
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