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
-
The study, published in May by People Science, involved 256 participants, who were asked to log daily symptoms of cramping, headaches, fatigue, bloating and food cravings daily over three menstrual cycles.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
And deciding where to go to follow your cravings this year just got a little easier.—
Avni Trivedi,
CNN Money,
8 June 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
-
Dua said volunteering reflects the same urge that got them all into medicine.—
Elizabeth Cooney,
STAT,
8 June 2026
-
However, try to resist the urge to clean it up too much.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Alongside husband and series co-creator Garrett Kennell, Khare has transformed her digital series into one of contemporary Hollywood’s most ambitious nonfiction productions online.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 June 2026
-
That’s certainly one approach to this, albeit an ambitious one.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
The sun in Gemini echoes this sentiment, adding the desire to align with someone special.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
-
An extended chapter of Hector on a shoot in Argentina could stand by itself as a wonderful short story about male ego, vanity, desire and loyalty.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
6 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
-
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
-
New Trier soccer star Addy Randall has an unquenchable thirst to compete.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
This thirst for collaborative discovery also led Tao to do a lot of his work in public.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Toward the end of her life, Goodman became obsessed with the idea that death was avoidable.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Josko Gvardiol, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji all played those positions after Guardiola became obsessed with one-on-one battles and ‘winning the duels’, almost talking about football in old-fashioned English terms.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hankering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hankering. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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