hocks 1 of 2

Definition of hocksnext
plural of hock

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
There’s not a lot of meat on ham hocks, but there’s a lot of skin and bone, which after a long simmer infuse the potlikker with collagen, like a rich bone broth. Josh Miller, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hocks
Noun
  • 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
  • After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.
    Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • There have also been fewer inmate deaths in Tarrant County than in Dallas and Harris counties, although those county jails have more capacity — 7,552 beds in Dallas County and 10,466 beds in Harris County, the report shows.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026
  • If someone is jailed for any charges and doesn’t have legal immigration status, ICE asks jails to hold them longer than their otherwise release date so federal agents can pick them up.
    Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The agency deposits up to $1,000 in these accounts them if parents complete recommended preventive care before their babies turn two.
    Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Because of the low reactivity of fluorine, when KL-50 deposits fluoroethyl groups onto the cells, the crosslinks are slow to form.
    Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Investigators believe some of the scams are coordinated by inmates inside Georgia prisons with help from people on the outside.
    Christopher Harris, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Minnesota correctional officials say many people accused of crimes were released directly to ICE by state or county prisons and jails.
    Kate Wells, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • In his breast pocket were what looked like two pens.
    James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
  • This Bostanten laptop tote has enough capacity to hold a 16-inch laptop, as well as pens, a tablet, a wallet, and all of your other daily work essentials.
    Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • If necessary, add screws to weak joints to fortify them.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2026
  • This week, the fest announced 24 barbecue joints selling food on April 18.
    Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hocks. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

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