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chase

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noun

1
as in prey
an animal that is hunted or killed the gazelle is a favorite chase of lions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word chase distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of chase are follow, pursue, and trail. While all these words mean "to go after or on the track of something or someone," chase implies going swiftly after and trying to overtake something fleeing or running.

a dog chasing a cat

When could follow be used to replace chase?

The words follow and chase are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, follow puts less emphasis upon speed or intent to overtake.

friends followed me home in their car

When is it sensible to use pursue instead of chase?

While the synonyms pursue and chase are close in meaning, pursue suggests a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain.

pursued the criminal through narrow streets

When can trail be used instead of chase?

The synonyms trail and chase are sometimes interchangeable, but trail may stress a following of tracks or traces rather than a visible object.

trail deer
trailed a suspect across the country

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 chase
Verb
Suddenly, a Demogorgon attacks, chasing Will up a tree and leading to a gnarly fall. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025 Bay Area airports affected by reductions While Sacramento isn’t among the top-40 airports targeted for the 10% reduction in flights, as outlined by federal officials, other California airports haven’t been spared even while chasing a sustained rebound in passenger trips. Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott joined the rest of his teammates in having a tough day Thursday after learning of the tragic death of defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, who took his own life at the end of a police chase in Frisco. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025 Jealous and plagued by his own personal issues, Victor decides to rid himself of his masterwork, a choice that takes its toll on both Victor and the Creature and leads to an epic chase that leaves tragedy and death in its wake. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chase
Verb
  • After Julia outed their affair in the one true bombshell of the season and Adriana wowed everyone by bringing up a Haitian mortician who got a free coffee maker (an excellent Halloween costume, BTW), the next season will just be the two of them sniping and shouting.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Syracuse has also lost the last two meetings between these programs, failing to score more than seven points in either outing (in 2023 and 2020).
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Worrell was approached by his colleagues to be Council president last term, but didn’t actively pursue the role, instead opting to throw his support behind Louijeune, a City Hall source told the Herald.
    Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The reality star has been studying through an apprenticeship program in California and was inspired to pursue a career in the legal field, focusing on criminal justice reform.
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Investigators found the bodies nearby — Davis and Shelton had been shot, Friedt had been stabbed with a hunting knife whose blade broke off in her chest, and Flemmons died from asphyxiation after suffering blunt-force injuries, per A&E, citing Julie Young’s book The Burger Chef Murders in Indiana.
    Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The actual culling is reserved for licensed hunters and local hunting associations, some of whom do it recreationally or as a part-time job.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Like me — a reluctant movie guy who never liked racing, and now somehow has three racecars.
    Chris Cardillo, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Toyota already has a rich history racing those events in truck/car classes, so why not stamp its name on a separate page of the books?
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Shorebirds like sandpipers and plovers use this sense to detect prey beneath the sand by sensing subtle mechanical vibrations.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Many thousands flee its mandatory, indefinite military service – and some fall prey to exploitative trafficking gangs.
    Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But Vanderbilt, as attention, pressure and fatigue rise on a pursuit no one outside its camp expected, is essentially two teams with two games left in the 2025 regular season.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The crash remains under active investigation by the FHP as officials work to reconstruct the events and review pursuit protocols.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • On Wednesday, in documents obtained by Rolling Stone, a California superior court judge overseeing the lawsuit ruled in favor of Kardashian and the anti-SLAPP motion, effectively dismissing the other Cantu’s lawsuit, though the judge left open the possibility of an appeal.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
  • This company’s approach to pest control begins with a philosophy that dismisses the business-as-usual assumptions.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • This is the lowest approval rating the president has received since the pollster began tracking last month, and the highest disapproval rating.
    Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Taking a glance at global markets overnight, Asia-Pacific markets rose, tracking Wall Street gains after AMD’s third-quarter earnings beat lifted artificial intelligence stocks.
    Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chase. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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