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
-
Yet, at the same time, relentless convenience (or being sold the idea of relentless convenience) warps the brain in ways that make nostalgic cravings somewhat inevitable.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Ever get a craving for that goodness?—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 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
-
The old urge to confess is alive.—
Madeline Leung Coleman,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
-
But the urge to do more never left her.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The agency has even more ambitious plans in the years ahead — including putting boots down on the moon just a couple of years from now.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The actress puts her Broadway chops to good use as the ambitious perfectionist (and Barbra Streisand obsessive) Rachel Berry on Glee, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Her square to picky Venus, though, could pit self-care desires against home chores.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has expressed a desire to push more responsibility for disasters down to states.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 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 for average people, the thirst signal is a good indicator.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The Bradenton Police Department shared adorable video that showed a parched manatee taking a break and quenching its thirst with some fresh water that was coming off a police boat.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And the obsessed captain had been Black?—
The Know,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
On the surface, Goldhaber and Mazzei’s latest is a vigilante crime thriller about a content moderator (Barbie Ferreira) who is busy hunting a web-obsessed serial killer (Dacre Montgomery).—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hankering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hankering. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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