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
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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
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Recent Examples of hock
Oc Register, 3 Jan. 2026
The rice and beans are cooked slowly with bacon, fatback, or ham hock along with onion and salt.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Spin Staff, SPIN, 9 Jan. 2025
Despite the league’s highest payroll and having already hocked any draft pick that wasn’t nailed down (some of them more than once), the Suns fell 15-18 on the season.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hock
Noun
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
The rice and beans are cooked slowly with bacon, fatback, or ham hock along with onion and salt.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
Despite the league’s highest payroll and having already hocked any draft pick that wasn’t nailed down (some of them more than once), the Suns fell 15-18 on the season.
—John Hollinger, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hock
Noun
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In terms of refusal rate, Fairfax County trailed slightly behind all of the top non-cooperating jails in Los Angeles County combined, according to the detainer data.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
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The suspect, Mariana Noriega, 23, was taken to the Maricopa County jail.—
Sydney Page The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Others pawned jewelry to help pay their bills.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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In fact, jewelry remains the most frequently sold and pawned categories, according to a Canaccord survey of several EZCorp and FirstCash locations.—
Itzel Franco,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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He was arrested again in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1961 and spent four months in a penitentiary where fellow Freedom Riders cried out in song each night.—
Veronica Ortega,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Azcarate sentenced Magalhaes to 10 years in the penitentiary and two years suspended.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Following the caller's instructions, the victim withdrew cash from her bank account and deposited it via several Bitcoin ATM transactions.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Miami Hurricanes’ slugging outfielder didn’t waste the opportunity, depositing the pitch into right field for a go-ahead two-run double in the Hurricanes’ eventual 5-2 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Wednesday at Mark Light Field.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In 2023, Jalloh was sentenced to seven years in prison for malicious wounding, with five of those years suspended.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
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Now, the man responsible is set to spend more than six decades in prison, according to Adams County court records.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hock. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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