HOCKS Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

hocks 1 of 2

noun

plural of hock

as in penitentiaries

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outsides

hocks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hock

as in pawns

to leave as a guarantee of repayment of a loan the prince had to hock the family jewels to pay his gambling debts

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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 hocks

Noun

Southern field peas and smoky ham hocks go together like Johnny and June. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 May 2026

Verb

So too are editor Pauline Gaillard’s sharp cuts, which are often timed exactly to coincide with the moment that someone lost in faraway thought finishes swirling their mouthful of Pinot Noir and hocks it unceremoniously into a nearby receptacle. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hocks

Noun

Hodge says he was abused in multiple federal penitentiaries, but was frequently blocked from filing complaints about it.

— Christie Thompson, NPR, 13 July 2026
This includes providing the Colombian military more leeway in the field, signing a new security agreement with Washington and building 10 mega-prisons that mimic Bukele’s network of penitentiaries in El Salvador.

— Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026

Definition of penitentiaries

Verb

LendingPoint approves loans for as little as $1,000, and typically deposits funds as soon as the next business day after signing.

— Dan Avery, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
The institution deposits the money and uses it to help pay for scholarships, travel, facilities, salaries and sports that might produce little revenue of their own.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of deposits

Noun

That’s where the 70-story new tower comes in, generating not only profits for the developer but also a stream of tax dollars that could support the old tower — money that would otherwise go to fund county police, jails, parks and transit.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Several other contractors’ jails and treatment centers across the state are referenced by name in the lawsuit.

— Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of jails

Verb

So my guess/belief/thought is that the executive trio is hoping for the best this year, but is unwilling to do anything that mortgages future seasons.

— Josh Kendall, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Those are the players in recent memory who’ve commanded the kind of draft capital that reshapes franchises — the sort of seismic move that mortgages a future and, in return, attaches expectations normally reserved for franchise-carrying superstars.

— Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026

Definition of mortgages

Noun

Contrary to what Stephen Hawking argued, black holes are not inescapable prisons.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
Instead of studying items like water supply and endangered animals, SEIU Local 1000 members include analysts who work in office buildings, janitorial staff at state hospitals and nurses stationed at prisons.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of prisons

Noun

Masks target the face, flexible panels cover larger areas like the back and chest, and belts and wraps flex around joints for stiffness and muscle pain.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026
The market for the piping and joints made by Southeastern Hose is booming now, giving Travis’s tiny Georgia town an economic lifeline.

— Kevin Williams, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of joints

Browse Nearby Words

hocking

hocks

hocus-pocus

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“Hocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hocks. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hocks

noun

verb

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