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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 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 The third is a centuries-old French hunting hound. Jennifer Peltz, Twin Cities, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
While Edgecombe is hounding Brunson on one end, Tyrese Maxey’s got 1,200 square feet of real estate at Madison Square Garden on the other. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026 Legal issues hound the New England Scofflaws, with WR Stefon Diggs and DT Christian Barmore both ensnared over domestic issues. Greg Cote january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hound
Noun
  • However, one quick look at what companies like Boston Dynamics has achieved with robots like the rather creepy dog-like ‘Spot,’ who herds sheep in New Zealand, and the possibilities seem endless.
    Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • While dogs and wolves are genetically almost indistinguishable, the biologist John Bradshaw has studied how vastly different their behavior is.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The gleaming, cool tones of silver add a timeless aesthetic that brings back fond memories for antique lovers.
    Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
  • The 68th annual Grammys are kicking off the month of love, and all the lovers and haters are tuning in.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Barraza, who was a member of the 501st Legion, a fan group that painstakingly re-creates Star Wars villains' costumes, already had her new suitcases packed — which resembled the ones Harry Potter took with him to Hogwarts.
    Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
  • To see him as a criminal, a perpetrator and villain, was a cognitive dissonance that demanded our attention.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But then Linda goes chasing a wild boar through the jungle while toting a bamboo spear, and impales it to death in a gleefully gratuitous scene of CGI gore.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
  • The provincial chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, wrote on X that security forces were chasing the insurgents.
    Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Havana urged American citizens in Cuba to take precautions amid the energy crisis by conserving fuel, water, food and charging their phones.
    Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Anyone with information is urged to contact 911.
    Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • For a coach who thinks running the ball is for squares and suckers, that’s not exactly adapting one’s philosophy to fit your personnel.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The multi-hyphenate is a sucker for chunky frames, and the Center Stage style from Peepers fits the bill.
    Annie Blackman, InStyle, 25 Jan. 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
  • Drift through the crowd as the smell of smoky jerk chicken and grilled cheese mingles with fresh lumpia, vegan soul bowls, and small-batch kombucha.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
  • The Store offers flavors such as buffalo, garlic parmesan, barbecue, sweet chili, Torrington Hot, mango habanero, Jamaican jerk, spicy harissa, lemon pepper, Marsala, spicy Mediterranean, Tunisian buffalo and garlic hot.
    Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hound. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

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