as in craving
a strong wish for something
I've had a hankering for pizza with anchovies all afternoon
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in longing
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Recent Examples of hankering
Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
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
Noun
Though the bolt had an apparent hankering for coconuts and avoided a direct hit through my scalp, the current traveled through the earth, zapped my feet, and sent me jumping into the air and, ultimately, to the emergency room.
—Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hankering
Noun
-
Over time, healthy diet changes can reduce cravings.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
11 June 2026
-
Here are some of our other favorite recipes that will satisfy any craving.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
In perhaps the most ambitious move, all 450,000 square feet of existing terminal roof will be replaced, draining and lighting systems will be improved, and solar panels will go up on the roof.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 July 2025
-
That would force physicists to rethink one of the most ambitious theories in science.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
If sharing is so great at bringing people together why, when accosted with an unceasing soliloquy of self-disclosure, do so many feel the urge to flee?—
Jessica DuLong,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
-
Resist the urge to rush the straining steps.—
Georgina Hayden,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 June 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
Noun
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These early student experiences set the stage for a lifelong fascination with and a desire to understand Russia and the Russian people, both full of consequential contradictions.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
7 Dec. 2025
-
That attrition culminated in Dye’s exit, which stemmed partly from a desire to integrate AI more deeply into products and a feeling that Apple hasn’t been keeping pace in the area.—
Mark Gurman,
Fortune,
6 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
But in addition to the usual work and Pulse, Stephany’s team in the same time frame also performed an autopsy of Grimmie, 22, the singer who was shot to death June 10, 2016, by an obsessed fan during a post-concert meet-and-greet.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 June 2026
-
Her dad became obsessed with a jumbo-sized Adidas FIFA World Cup 2026 Trionda Pro Official Match Soccer Ball displayed at a Dick’s.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The support for the new Sharaa government, and often angry or excessive reactions on social media to any form of dissent or criticism, is not a longing for authoritarian rule.—
Hassan Hassan,
Time,
8 Dec. 2025
-
Shane writes and deletes one longing text message about kissing.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This thirst for collaborative discovery also led Tao to do a lot of his work in public.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 June 2026
-
The old include the obvious (Louis) and less obvious (a one-of-a-kind musical origin story), but the new arrives in the form of the mysterious Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle), Lestat’s undead mother whose thirst for blood ranks a distant second to her nymphomania.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hankering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hankering. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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