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
Laqueur’s book has no particular thesis to hobbyhorse for, and yet a unified-field theory of aesthetic dogginess might be distilled from its pages.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 May 2026
The notion that Winston Churchill, not the German Führer, was the villain in World War II — another of Buchanan’s hobbyhorses — is again gaining ground on the right.
—Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2025
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
Old-fashioned hobbyhorses entice shoppers to imagine riding on them.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 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
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 May 2026
The notion that Winston Churchill, not the German Führer, was the villain in World War II — another of Buchanan’s hobbyhorses — is again gaining ground on the right.
—Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2025
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
Old-fashioned hobbyhorses entice shoppers to imagine riding on them.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobbyhorse
Noun
-
No longer a niche hobby, the paper describes circular practices are a growing part of how consumers navigate everyday economic pressures.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
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The wide out's love of horses goes far beyond a hobby, too.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
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His pursuit of those goals continues this summer, when Mora can become only the eighth 17-year-old to play in the World Cup, and the youngest ever for Mexico.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
The combination of vivid landscapes, attractions and activities, and cultural pursuits makes Samaná a unique destination that continues to gain ground on the world tourism map.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
All of the ducks don festive attire during holidays and big New England sports events.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
The United States is hosting the World Cup for the first time in more than 30 years, and organizations and businesses in Metro Detroit are making sure sports fans have a place to watch the competition.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The cultural upbringing, hobbies, avocations, passions, and beliefs of Mercado and Oscar are virtually the same.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
As Sottile sees it, the dog-show economy thrives on dog lovers’ sense of avocation.—
Kelli María Korducki,
HubSpot,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
From across the street, Leonor watched with amusement.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
Eyghon is a demon the quartet had conjured for amusement in their youth.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hobbyhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobbyhorse. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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