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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of hocks
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
Made with two hocks and bacon, the greens and the potlikker are powerfully rich and savory.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hocks
Noun
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Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
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The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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For decades, the Orange County branch of the Mexican Mafia was led by Peter Ojeda, a longtime Santa Ana gang chieftain who maintained control over the local streets and jails even after a federal racketeering conviction in 2006 left him in a prison cell three time zones away.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
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He has been held in jails in New York and Los Angeles, and for a time in New York state prison, since his first conviction in 2020.—
Karla Cote,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In less than 10 minutes, a wooden bridge deposits us on the doorstep of a cinematic landscape that unfurls into a seemingly endless patchwork of rolling hills and glens in hues of umber, cinnamon, and ochre, flanked by mountains standing sentinel on either side.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
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Commuter trains run from Washington’s Union Station to Baltimore’s Camden Station, which deposits fans right outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards.—
Fritz Hahn,
Washington Post,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Mexican Mafia, described as the largest and most powerful gang operating from inside state prisons, controls gangs throughout Southern California.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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These journalists filled space with their reviews and a host of other stories related to theater including the work of theater productions in prisons, education, and other areas.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
Noun
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In the package was a grab bag of small pleasures to ease the difficulty of a lengthy deployment – Kind bars, candy, homemade fudge, Girl Scout cookies, puzzle books, pencils, pens, decks of cards and other games.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
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The land, which is designated by Eagle as agricultural-residential, hosts the single-family home, a large barn for four adult horses, staging areas for large farming equipment, and holding pens with several dozen cattle.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Watermelon has a host of health benefits including protecting one's joints from inflammation, improving digestive conditions and being more rich in lycopene than any other fruit.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
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Poor Posture Poor posture, like slouching or hunching over a desk, puts constant stress on your muscles and joints.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hocks. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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