as in craving
a strong wish for something
I've had a hankering for pizza with anchovies all afternoon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in longing
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Recent Examples of hankering
Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
This piece combines a supporting character palette with a leading lady frame to make something perfect for those who have a hankering to whitewash but know better.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 5 Feb. 2026
That’s the bit missing these days, and that’s why there’s a hankering for what some people call the West Ham Way.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
And for the kids who get a hankering to try the sport/lifestyle, consider a learn-to camp.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
And if fig is the focus but a cake isn’t calling your name, try one of these fresh and flavorful fig recipes to satisfy any sudden hankering.
—Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
For those with a hankering for farm-to-table cuisine, Handle’s menu of fresh, simple dishes will satiate the craving.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
For them, socialism has meant only a hankering for state tyranny and brazen assaults on property rights that, together, threaten the beliefs every patriotic citizen holds dear.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Anyone who doesn’t hold the same nostalgic hankering for veteran actresses holding court with one-woman shows might not be blamed for opting out.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
If your hankering is for Chinese, then pop into bustling Taipei Express for a cheap and cheerful Sa Cha Chicken lunch combo.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
This piece combines a supporting character palette with a leading lady frame to make something perfect for those who have a hankering to whitewash but know better.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 5 Feb. 2026
That’s the bit missing these days, and that’s why there’s a hankering for what some people call the West Ham Way.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
And for the kids who get a hankering to try the sport/lifestyle, consider a learn-to camp.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
And if fig is the focus but a cake isn’t calling your name, try one of these fresh and flavorful fig recipes to satisfy any sudden hankering.
—Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
For those with a hankering for farm-to-table cuisine, Handle’s menu of fresh, simple dishes will satiate the craving.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
For them, socialism has meant only a hankering for state tyranny and brazen assaults on property rights that, together, threaten the beliefs every patriotic citizen holds dear.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Anyone who doesn’t hold the same nostalgic hankering for veteran actresses holding court with one-woman shows might not be blamed for opting out.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hankering
Noun
-
In other words, this high drama of winners and losers follows a very, very old human narrative tradition rooted in our craving for catharsis.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
The white-meat nuggets are delicious on their own and satisfy that fast-food craving—especially when they’re prepped in the air fryer and dipped in our favorite sauces.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Werther, in his self-delusion, embodies another Goethean type, the longing man—ordinary, but convinced of the extraordinariness of his feelings.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
At one, he’d been overcome by the powerful urge to roam.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
Huang described a future of plentiful and high-paying jobs in the trades, and a growing share of young workers—whether due to disillusionment with four-year degrees or out of an urge to AI-proof their careers—are beginning to see these roles as a real possibility.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
This sort of attention to dessert is otherwise increasingly rare; too many ambitious kitchens pour all their resources into their savory menus and then punt on the sweet courses, serving a scoop of gelato in a fancy coupe, or a slice of cake assembled off-site.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
To this day, Galaxy and its sequel are the series’ most conceptually ambitious entries.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Our desire to see each other can remain the same but the means of doing so have to be flexible.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
-
Public interest in this crowdfunding effort shows a collective desire to disrupt the airline industry.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But there doesn’t seem to be a limit to younger film and TV connoisseurs’ thirst for his irreverent and unapologetically gay comedic stylings.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
-
He's even appeared in thirst-traps alongside a shirtless Powell.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Jon Bernthal returns as Frank Castle, the obsessed vigilante waging a one-man war on crime.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
-
Six months prior, while Tzagournis was out of town, her daughter and 4-year-old son had become obsessed.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hankering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hankering. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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