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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 hocks
Noun
Southern field peas and smoky ham hocks go together like Johnny and June. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hocks
  1. penitentiaries
  2. deposits
  3. jails
  4. mortgages
  5. prisons
  6. pens
  7. joints
Noun
  • 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
  • Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.
    — Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of penitentiaries
Verb
  • The lightweight cream deposits a subtle wash of color, and blends tracelessly to create a fresh-faced, no-makeup-makeup finish.
    — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 30 June 2026
  • This is one in which the user deposits cash that serves as its’ purchase limit.
    — Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of deposits
Noun
  • The Sandra Bland Act signed into law in 2017 requires that county jails help get inmates with mental health and substance abuse issues treatment, and help expedite the bailing process for those who meet these requirements.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
  • Today, there are more than sixty thousand people in ICE jails across the country, up from thirty-nine thousand in January, 2025.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 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
  • Politicians and candidates want to build prisons there (as if this were a solution).
    — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
  • Widdecombe was in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, serving in roles including prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major’s 1990s Conservative government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of prisons
Noun
  • School supply donations can include pens, pencils, notebooks, loose-leaf paper, folders, dry-erase markers, chalk, highlighters and staples.
    — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
  • Beyond your computer, there are notebooks, pens, sunglasses, chargers, phone cords, keys, wallets and important papers.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of pens
Noun
  • The method is intense on muscles but easy on joints, according to the Lagree website.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
  • The humanoid features human-scale proportions, a neutral visor instead of a face, and visible mechanical joints.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026
Definition of joints

Browse Nearby Words

hocking
hocks
hocus-pocus
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hocks. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hocks

Nglish: Translation of hocks for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All