as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
some lowlife who had been in and out of hock most of his adult life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to pawn
to leave as a guarantee of repayment of a loan
the prince had to hock the family jewels to pay his gambling debts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hock
Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Add chicken broth, potatoes, ham hocks, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer on low for about two hours, or until the ham is tender.
—Oc Register, 3 Jan. 2026
Greg Marotta, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025
Bandcamp’s cut is 15% on digital sales and 10% when hocking physical stuff (t-shirts, vinyl, CDs, cassettes, etc).
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hock
Noun
Romaine is braised, as is common in Hong Kong, but with ham hock potlikker.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Add chicken broth, potatoes, ham hocks, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer on low for about two hours, or until the ham is tender.
—Oc Register, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
Conversely, Soto was like the guy who hocks his wedding ring before the separation agreement is signed.
—Greg Marotta, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025
Bandcamp’s cut is 15% on digital sales and 10% when hocking physical stuff (t-shirts, vinyl, CDs, cassettes, etc).
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hock
Noun
-
Mueller, whom Northside ISD placed on leave, remained in the Bexar County jail on $95,000 bail and faced up to life in prison if convicted.—
JJ Velasquez,
San Antonio Express-News,
3 May 2026
-
Mengtong / China News Service/VCG via Getty Images The restrictions have prevented Allen from communicating with anyone besides his legal team, as well as accessing the commissary or resources such as jail tablets, the filing states.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
If a helmet is too outdated for your family to use, don't pawn it off on someone else.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
After being blackballed from the finance sector, Coop resorts to burglarizing the homes of those in his social circle and pawning the items to stay afloat.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Local flavor The Idaho Botanical Garden is located next to the penitentiary and boasts more than 30 acres of gardens.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The government opened the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz in 1934, hoping to use the remote island to house particularly difficult prisoners, according to the National Park Service.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The letter mentions there is a problem with depositing your money into your bank and asks you for your account number.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The hoard was deposited around 1047, the release said.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Or worse, to turn it into a sort of prison sentence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The rights lawyer fainted twice in prison on Friday in the northwestern city of Zanjan, her foundation said, and was admitted to a local hospital.—
Adam Schreck,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hock. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
