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
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
This was a plot twist with political and cultural significance because Italian American politicians were often accused—at varying decibels—of being in hock to the Mafia.
—
John Avlon,
The Atlantic,
25 May 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
If a debtor refused to coöperate, Pitman might ingratiate himself, explaining, truthfully, that having the key sure would help him out, or that, without it, the lienholder would bundle the cost of making a new one into the price of getting the vehicle out of hock.
—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
This was a plot twist with political and cultural significance because Italian American politicians were often accused—at varying decibels—of being in hock to the Mafia.
—
John Avlon,
The Atlantic,
25 May 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
-
Concern arose that Orange was going to be taken out of the jail and lynched.
-
Vanity Fair reported that he was sentenced to 60 days in jail after being convicted of misdemeanor battery against a girlfriend, and was later charged with battering his third wife, Joanna Ferrell.
Verb
-
At one point, the family pawned the title to their car to help keep his dream alive.
-
There were 46 items in the safe, some of which Kisakye allegedly pawned and sold to feed a substantial gambling habit.
Noun
-
Two years ago, a judge freed Anthony Bailey after 27 years in the federal penitentiary, giving him a second chance at life.
-
After a federal jury voted to convict him in early 2024, Hernández was sent to a notorious high-security penitentiary in West Virginia to serve his time.
Verb
-
According to Ceconi, these products don’t actually soften, but instead deposit a waxy coating on the fabric.
-
He’s transported to a realm of Tolkienesque fantasy, deposited somewhere between the Stony Waste and the Frozen Sea.
Noun
-
Given the cameras in the courtroom, his defense argued – much like lawyers have in Tyler Robinson’s case in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk – that his appearance in shackles and a prison outfit could influence potential jurors.
-
Later, Simpson served nine years in prison after being convicted on unrelated charges.
Cite this Entry
“Hock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hock. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
