Synonyms of hocks

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

• penitentiaries
• jails
• prisons
• pens
• joints
• coops
• brigs
• jugs
• coolers
• cans
• stockades
• pokeys
• clinks
• big houses
• cages
• nicks
• lockups
• bastilles
• quods
• tanks
• bridewells
• stirs
• guardrooms
• jailhouses
• slammers
• slams
• cells
• tolbooths
• dungeons
• calabooses
• bull pens
• hoosegows
• holds
• holes
• hulks
• wards
• labor camps
• concentration camps
• keeps
• prison camps
• work camps
• blocks
• gulags
• guardhouses
• reform schools
• reformatories
• training schools
• glasshouses
• stalags
• oubliettes

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pawns
• deposits
• mortgages
• bonds
• pledges

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• buys (back)
• wins (back)
• redeems

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hocks

Noun

The simple combo of navy beans, smoked ham hocks, onion, and butter is still the best way to start a meal here. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 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