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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hankering
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
However, unlike the previous homeowner, the woman does not have any hankering to host any of those other kids in her yard.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Studies also indicate that for some people, cravings for highly palatable foods go well beyond just a normal hankering for a snack and are, in fact, signs of addictive behavior.
—Claire Wilcox, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
However, unlike the previous homeowner, the woman does not have any hankering to host any of those other kids in her yard.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Studies also indicate that for some people, cravings for highly palatable foods go well beyond just a normal hankering for a snack and are, in fact, signs of addictive behavior.
—Claire Wilcox, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hankering
Noun
-
The differences were especially pronounced in the evenings, when cravings tend to peak.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
That said, your craving for quiet could conflict with a task request, so some trade-offs might be necessary.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 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
-
Today’s newsletter explores how to embrace being an outsider, and how to resist the urge to immediately fit in.—
Rafaela Jinich,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Cook, resisting the urge to break it up too much at first.—
Holly Riordan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
China has laid out an ambitious lunar plan to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, targeting the south pole, which contains water ice and other resources critical for long-term lunar exploration and settlement.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
His answer is ambitious and old-fashioned.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Clinton, whose relationship with Epstein has been subject to public scrutiny, said his desire for a public hearing is out of respect for Epstein’s victims and claimed Comer, who presides over the committee, is using Clinton as a political pawn.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The launch will showcase the founder’s desire to introduce something new to the luxury aviation space.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Send Help gives its beleaguered office-worker protagonist a thirst for blood.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But at this point, the trend’s persistence and the thirst with which its products are consumed suggest a more profound connection between these stories and their audience.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And in a show where everybody’s so obsessed with their work life and trying to define themselves by their work life, Kwabena isn’t trying to do that.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
-
And who better to perform it than holiday and cover song royalty, Kelly Clarkson, who was so obsessed with the song that Cher brought her on to do the remix with her.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hankering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hankering. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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