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
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
To heel-hang a carcass, cut a gambrel stick, sharpen its ends, and push it through cuts made in the hock skin between the big tendon and the bone.
—Maurice H. Decker, Outdoor Life, 17 Sep. 2025
John Hollinger, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
If Emily can be in Paris and Rome, why can’t Robert be in Joshua Tree hocking ayahuasca?
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hock
Noun
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
To heel-hang a carcass, cut a gambrel stick, sharpen its ends, and push it through cuts made in the hock skin between the big tendon and the bone.
—Maurice H. Decker, Outdoor Life, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
If Emily can be in Paris and Rome, why can’t Robert be in Joshua Tree hocking ayahuasca?
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hock
Noun
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According to online jail records, his bail was set at $250,000.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
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The cost of Kansas City’s temporary jail facility could jump by nearly $4 million as a city committee recommend additional funding and waiving environmental building standards to keep the project on track for completion before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shortly after, the book was pawned to the Cistercian monks of the Sedlec Abbey in Bohemia.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Dec. 2025
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Police later found that Geralds had pawned a gold herringbone necklace that matched one missing from the Pettibone home and had given the pair of sunglasses to a friend.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But he was most likely transferred there to help publicize the new penitentiary, nicknamed The Rock.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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James was on his way to pick up an immigrant in the federal penitentiary who had finished a criminal sentence.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
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To protect their designs, French couturiers including Madeleine Vionnet documented dresses from the front, side and back, and deposited the photos with a Paris court in the early decades of the 20th century.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
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The following year, Steeleaf deposited $15 million at Banco del Orinoco in Curaçao.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Department of Justice said Steven Anthony Cowles, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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The two counts of second-degree assault could carry up to seven years in prison each, if convicted.—
PJ Green
January 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hock. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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