Synonyms of chase

chase 1 of 2

verb

1

as in to out

to drive or force out

chased the cat out of the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

• out
• dismiss
• eject
• banish
• expel
• cast out
• kick out
• sack
• evict
• bounce
• run off
• rout
• remove
• extrude
• throw out
• drum (out)
• oust
• turn out
• fire
• boot (out)
• send packing
• turf (out)
• read out
• give one the gate
• shut out
• dispossess
• exile
• can
• deport
• ostracize
• deforce
• retire
• terminate
• expatriate
• pink-slip
• displace
• ax
• muster out
• release
• defenestrate
• discharge
• cashier

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• take
• receive
• accept
• admit
• take in
• welcome
• entertain
• shelter
• house
• harbor
• lodge

2

as in to pursue

to go after or on the track of

a dog that likes to chase cars

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pursue
• track
• follow
• escort
• accompany
• trace
• tail
• dog
• course
• run
• watch
• trail
• hound
• hunt
• tag
• run after
• seek
• bird-dog
• shadow
• eye
• observe
• search (for)
• chaperone

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lead
• guide
• pilot
• head

3

as in to hunt

to seek out (game) for food or sport

owls often chase mice in the dark

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hunt
• stalk
• trap
• capture
• kill
• pursue
• track
• snare
• drag
• dog
• hound
• trail
• hawk
• course
• shoot
• ferret
• net
• run
• run down
• gun (for)
• cull
• poach
• harpoon
• spoor

4

as in to race

to proceed or move quickly

they chased all over the place to find the missing child

Synonyms & Similar Words

• race
• hurry
• rush
• speed
• scurry
• drive
• travel
• fly
• trot
• jump
• run
• zip
• blow
• scoot
• buzz
• dart
• scuttle
• rip
• shoot
• step
• tear
• blast
• dash
• jog
• career
• blaze
• hare
• whirl
• hustle
• zoom
• ram
• hurl
• course
• bowl
• motor
• jet
• breeze
• rocket
• bolt
• crack (on)
• hasten
• hurtle
• whisk
• hump
• pelt
• rustle
• nip
• gallop
• bundle
• get a move on
• hie
• careen
• beat it
• belt
• barrel
• step on it
• bustle
• highball
• bomb
• make tracks
• flit
• scamper
• shake a leg
• streak
• cannonball
• hotfoot (it)
• sprint
• accelerate
• outrun
• stampede
• overtake
• beetle
• scuffle
• whiz
• step out
• quicken
• outpace
• catch up
• scud
• outstrip
• arrow
• fast-forward
• beeline

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• creep
• crawl
• drag
• poke
• linger
• hang (around or out)
• dawdle
• poke
• lag
• loiter
• stroll
• tarry
• saunter
• amble
• shuffle
• plod
• slow (down or up)
• lumber
• decelerate
• dillydally
• dally

chase

2 of 2

noun

ˈchās 

1

as in prey

an animal that is hunted or killed

the gazelle is a favorite chase of lions

Synonyms & Similar Words

• prey
• quarry
• creature
• target
• kill
• game
• victim
• beast
• critter
• brute

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• predator
• hunter
• killer
• murderer
• chaser
• carnivore
• pursuer

2

as in pursuit

the act of going after or in the tracks of another

a high-speed car chase

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pursuit
• chasing
• tracking
• tracing
• search
• trailing
• tailing
• pursuing
• shadowing
• tagging
• following
• hounding
• dogging
• hot pursuit
• track
• trail
• seeking
• path
• tagging along

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

Recent Examples of chase

Verb

The scene with Ambika Mod (Laila) where you’re being chased through Somerset House was quite ambitious. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026

Other passengers hit the man, and when the bus stopped and the couple fled, a crowd of riders and people from the street chased them, until they were rescued by police. — Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026

Noun

Thompson has been dealing with a sore left ankle that resulted from his crucial chase-down block in the closing ticks of Tuesday night’s victory in Utah. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2026

Just days before the killing, Arriaga Guerrero had been arrested for stealing a pickup, robbing a woman at gunpoint at a Crowley Walmart and leading police on a chase. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2026

Phrases Containing chase

• chase (down)