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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
And all of that mimicked the gloriously madcap fox hunt, minus hounds and the fox and made the horse the focus — hence the sobriquet for the sport, National Hunt racing. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 Within the galleries, for example, there’s an early portrait of a breastfeeding noblewoman installed near a large 2019 Cecily Brown abstraction of cavorting horses and hounds. Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
Lu Dort struggles on offense For all intents and purposes, Lu Dort, whose primary job in this series is to hound Jamal Murray for 48 minutes, is doing a solid job defensively. Kelly Iko, New York Times, 10 May 2025 Charlie is just a person in a unique position to help, so of course she’s persistently hounded by people who need it — and lots of people need it! Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hound
Noun
  • According to LifeLine, the DeKalb shelter takes in 135 dogs a week on average.
    Jim Gaines, ajc, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The remains were found by two men who were running their dogs and looking for rocks, according to DNASolves.
    CBS News, CBS News, 13 Sep. 2023
Noun
  • Hard and Semi-Soft Cheeses Good news for cheese lovers everywhere!
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 7 June 2025
  • The online marketplace is full of fellow antique lovers selling finds that date all the way back to the 1940s.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 7 June 2025
Noun
  • New threats emerge, including a ruthless new villain (Bill Skarsgård) and a blind assassin from Wick’s past, played by Donnie Yen in a standout performance.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 6 June 2025
  • Nicholas Hoult plays the film’s villain, the megalomaniac super-genius Lex Luthor.
    Jack Dunn, Variety, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • In some tourist regions, emus have been known to chase people for food or become overly familiar – leading to head-butts, pecking or the occasional knockdown.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • But one of his greatest spiritual teachers was a companion who liked to chase ducks and steal Taylor’s underwear — and whose most prestigious award was being honored by a local newspaper as its Pet of the Week.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • During tornado warnings issued by the National Weather Service, people are urged to move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
  • Quote Will Excite Detroit Fans To that end, the Lions have been urged to consider and named the best fit to land a very familiar face.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • What the Nuggets need to do is find a sucker who is willing to talk themselves into the remaining $79 million over two years owed to Porter, while sending back a couple of quality role players.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • Peppers that produce large fruit should only be lightly pruned to remove unproductive suckers, but smaller-fruited pepper plants can be pruned a little more aggressively to boost airflow and branching.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • Cops released surveillance photos of a trio of brutes wanted for punching, repeatedly stabbing and robbing a man on a Bronx train last month.
    Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 June 2025
  • Meanwhile, Conner was still battling his brute of a blue cat.
    Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • But in politics — as in life —there’s a fine line between being genuine and being a jerk.
    Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • Smoky, spicy jerk is also on the menu in the Pulled Jerk Pork & Coconut Shrimp appetizer at Eleanor’s at Sandals Grande Antigua.
    Sandals Resorts, AFAR Media, 4 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hound. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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