as in hobby
an activity outside of one's regular occupation that is engaged in primarily for pleasure
oil painting became the hobbyhorse of her long years of retirement
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Recent Examples of hobbyhorse
There must have been hundreds of them made, a stable of hobbyhorses, and one had ended up in the basement of our house in Massachusetts.
—
Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
It is also blighted by Tanenhaus’s hobbyhorses, which are especially evident in his caviling when promoting his book.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 June 2025
Both parties instead must make the case that federal funding for research is not a partisan hobbyhorse but a source of long-term economic and political strength.
—David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
The treatment of white farmers in South Africa has been a hobbyhorse of South African X owner Elon Musk for quite a while.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025
In 2017, the National Institutes of Health asked Hotez to meet with Kennedy to move him off the hobbyhorse of a vaccine-autism link.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Mergers and acquisitions of media companies is an area squarely in the FCC’s purview, which cannot be said of Section 230 and more tech-adjacent regulation that have also been Carr hobbyhorses.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
It is also blighted by Tanenhaus’s hobbyhorses, which are especially evident in his caviling when promoting his book.
—The Editors, National Review, 2 June 2025
Both parties instead must make the case that federal funding for research is not a partisan hobbyhorse but a source of long-term economic and political strength.
—David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
The treatment of white farmers in South Africa has been a hobbyhorse of South African X owner Elon Musk for quite a while.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025
In 2017, the National Institutes of Health asked Hotez to meet with Kennedy to move him off the hobbyhorse of a vaccine-autism link.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Mergers and acquisitions of media companies is an area squarely in the FCC’s purview, which cannot be said of Section 230 and more tech-adjacent regulation that have also been Carr hobbyhorses.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobbyhorse
Noun
-
Skiing has a reputation for being a pricey hobby, from the expensive gear to the ever-rising lift tickets and luxe mountainside hotels.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Jack is not the only one who appeared to be starting a new hobby.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Al-Khelaifi and Perez’s relationship was seriously damaged by Real Madrid’s long pursuit of Mbappe, which finally ended with the player leaving PSG to join Madrid in summer 2024.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Gentleman thief Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven) circles the prize while Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) bungles the pursuit with sublime obliviousness.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Kiké Hernández, who has been a part of three World Series-winning Dodgers teams, minced no words about his squad’s place at the top of the sport.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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Their €510million wage bill from 2024-25 only trailed PSG and Manchester City in Europe, based on most recent figures, though that number includes the hefty cost of Barca employing players of various other sports as well as huge off-field staffing levels.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
My vocation as a writer and editor and my avocation as a gardener and composter go hand in hand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Retired from her long vocation as a research chemist, Schafer, at 81, remains on the job with her avocations.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Behind the scenes Six Flags Entertainment is a regional amusement-resort operator with approximately 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties across 17 states in the United States, Canada and Mexico.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
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Taking place at the City Center Bishop Ranch, the event invites both pets and their owners to don outfits and strut their stuff for the amusement of the general public.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hobbyhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobbyhorse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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