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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hobbyhorse
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
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 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
Never mind the crime issue or that favorite Trumpian hobbyhorse, immigration and the border.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
Riding clubs and hobbyhorse camps foster those close connections.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2024
In part that’s because, to climb back on an old hobbyhorse of mine, platforms are still too stingy with the data that might help researchers understand them better.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 24 May 2023
Nor does the Trooper seem to hobbyhorse longitudinally or wobble laterally while running straight on some surfaces, as the S-10 Blazer sometimes does.
—Pete Lyons, Car and Driver, 26 Mar. 2023
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 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
Never mind the crime issue or that favorite Trumpian hobbyhorse, immigration and the border.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
Riding clubs and hobbyhorse camps foster those close connections.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2024
In part that’s because, to climb back on an old hobbyhorse of mine, platforms are still too stingy with the data that might help researchers understand them better.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 24 May 2023
Nor does the Trooper seem to hobbyhorse longitudinally or wobble laterally while running straight on some surfaces, as the S-10 Blazer sometimes does.
—Pete Lyons, Car and Driver, 26 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobbyhorse
Noun
-
Bryce Holmes designs roller coasters as a hobby and posts them on social media.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 May 2025
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Using only sand and water, learn how to craft detailed sculptures from a 25-year sand-sculpting expert and take your new hobby to your next beach vacation.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Do not let naysayers stop you from your heart’s pursuit.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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The formal agenda of the Federal Communications Commission's open meeting this week seemed well in line with its normal wonky pursuits.—
Steven Levy,
Wired News,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Those scholars stress athletes’ race when looking at participation rates in the two sports that generate the most revenue: football and men’s basketball.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 May 2025
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Rodriguez, 38, walks away from the sport of MMA with a 17-6-2 record and a 7-6-2 mark in the UFC.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Noun
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These avocations can take many shapes—traveling, golf, time with family, snowboarding, knitting, hunting, gardening, fishing, church choir, college football, crossword puzzles, theater, cycling, and walking.—
Wes Moss,
Forbes,
17 Dec. 2024
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What began as an avocation turned into a serious occupation, as Fox Solomon turned to documenting the remnants of segregation visible in Chattanooga and across the South.—
Christina Cacouris,
The New Yorker,
24 Sep. 2024
Noun
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More casual, and far more intimate, is the arsenal of gun shots—regular Americans, children as well as adults, toting their weaponry for the camera, and for the nervous amusement of their friends and relatives.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2025
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Out of the amusement of babes comes a perfect alternative to the current tariffs panic.—
Armond White,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hobbyhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobbyhorse. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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