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

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

Rather than dramatically changing your natural hair color, a gloss deposits tone onto the hair and can soften the appearance of gray while adding shine.

— Casey DelBasso, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Think of it as a stamp that presses into the top layer of your skin, and deposits pigment instead of puncturing the skin thousands of times.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of deposits

Noun

Of the more than $3 billion that Miami-Dade plans to collect in property taxes next year, roughly 70 cents of every dollar fund the county’s Sheriff’s Office, fire department, jails, roads and transit costs, and Jackson, the Herald analysis found.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
In fact, in 2022, a year after the Humphrey decision, 74% of people in California jails were still unsentenced and awaiting trial.

— Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 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

Gangs destroyed three of Haiti’s main prisons in early 2024, and those still operating are severely overcrowded.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Some of the most difficult positions to fill have been state troopers, correction officers in the prisons, and nurses in psychiatric hospitals.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of prisons

Noun

Last week, biologists opened pens and freed two birds early, worried they might be killed.

— Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Debra Kissen, clinical director of Light On Anxiety in Chicago, told Today that discreet fidgeting is more socially acceptable than clicking pens or spinning gadgets.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of pens

Noun

In melanoma patients, Keytruda treatment can result in fatigue, diarrhea, rash and inflammation of joints and muscles, as well as of healthy organs in some cases.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
At a time when Republican leaders are increasingly targeting the state’s growing Muslim communities, halal barbecue joints like Goldee’s are thriving in Texas.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of joints

Browse Nearby Words

hocking

hocks

hocus-pocus

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Style

“Hocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hocks. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hocks

noun

verb

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