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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
Boone is relentlessly hounded by figments of his guilty memory, by other ghosts, and by his daughter—all of whom emphasize his nefarious role in delaying action to combat climate change. Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026 About 50 seconds into overtime, Utah appeared to have possession with a chance to clear, but Werenski, Fantilli, Marchenko and Voronkov hounded the puck, using all means to keep it in the zone. Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hound
Noun
  • Pet stations and small lawns for playing are located on both the north and south ends of the resort, and dogs can always hang out on the pool deck (but can’t swim) or at the private beach.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Your dog's bowl should be at least a bit taller than the planter, so that your dog can easily drink from it.
    Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Years of steadily climbing coffee prices have some in this country of coffee lovers upending their habits by nixing cafe visits, switching to cheaper brews or forgoing it altogether.
    Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Fennell cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie plays Cathy in this tale of childhood friends turned tortured lovers, kept apart by heartbreaking misunderstandings and their own destructive decisions.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 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
  • Aljorna, the affidavit claimed, hit a light pole before fleeing from the car, with an ICE agent chasing him on foot toward the home.
    Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
  • An immigration officer chased Aljorna who, according to the government, violently resisted arrest.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 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
  • 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
  • Kocher was a grandfather and a sucker for extra hours on the bike trails, Beckley said.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 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
  • Tony's Jamaican Food Curry goat, oxtail and jerk chicken are a few of the traditional Jamaican specialties served at this friendly Pflugerville restaurant and East Austin food truck.
    Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Smarmy jerks can get obscenely wealthy in this country just by managing other people’s money.
    Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hound. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

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