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Definition of houndnext
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hound

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hound distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hound are badger, bait, chivy, heckle, and hector. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

When could badger be used to replace hound?

The words badger and hound can be used in similar contexts, but badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

Where would bait be a reasonable alternative to hound?

While the synonyms bait and hound are close in meaning, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When is it sensible to use chivy instead of hound?

Although the words chivy and hound have much in common, chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

In what contexts can heckle take the place of hound?

The words heckle and hound are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

When can hector be used instead of hound?

While in some cases nearly identical to hound, hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

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 hound
Noun
The Pats aren’t waiting until third down to unleash hounds, either. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026 The Basset Fauve de Bretagne, also known as the Fawn Colored Brittany Basset, is a hound with coarse, wiry fur that conveniently repels dirt and does not mat, according to the AKC. Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
However, delays hounded construction. Larry Seward, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026 Stewart noted that Diana's experience of being hounded by the media resonated with her as someone who has had a famously tumultuous relationship with the press and the public's scrutiny of celebrity lives. Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hound
Noun
  • The dog was found tied to a carry-on-baggage sizer by the JetBlue ticket counter at Terminal 3 at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport earlier this month, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Well, the dog died, and now Lauren wants to take bereavement leave.
    Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Picture a waterfront bustling with bobbing fishing boats and the air tinged with the scent of fresh seafood, as San Hing Praya Street and Pak She Praya Road dish out alfresco dining scenes straight out of a sunset lover's dream.
    Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Under a sprawling white tent on Miami Beach, thousands of food lovers gathered Saturday to eat, drink and celebrate in style.
    Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Even the Dodgers, the cartoon villains of spending, kind of sort of have a limit.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • And Salieri seems more of hybrid creature, as though a villain out of Christopher Marlowe had suddenly been endowed with Shakespearean self-awareness.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • When the carloads of masked men showed up outside, these strangers chased them away with whistles.
    Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 22 Feb. 2026
  • This sweet little cabin is the perfect place to practice hygge in the winter to chase off the cold-weather blues.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The Sierra Avalanche Center reports high avalanche risk through at least this morning, urging people to avoid travel in or below avalanche terrain.
    James Ward, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The Pima County sheriff took the unusual step of publicly clearing the family as suspects, urging the public to show compassion toward the victims.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Pisces are suckers for anything romantic.
    Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Why to Prune Viburnums Viburnums seldom need pruning other than to remove damaged, diseased, and dead branches, or sucker shoots that grow straight up from the roots but don’t flower.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • For much of his career, Skarsgård has gravitated toward characters who weaponize physical presence — Vikings, tech titans and mythic brutes whose power is immediately legible.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
  • As usual, Lang plays the brute’s Heart of Darkness–esque descent into madness with gleeful relish.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • For more untouched shores, Frenchman's Cove in Portland is just as renowned for its natural feel as for the jerk chicken stands that set up shop nearby.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
  • But the truth is that Robby being a jerk is one of the most fascinating threads of this show’s already exciting second season.
    Esther Zuckerman, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hound. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.

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