1
as in chased
to go after or on the track of
the policeman doggedly pursued the pickpocket through the crowded subway station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sought
to go in search of
urged the graduates to pursue personal fulfillment instead of financial success
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 pursued
Chicago pursued Bregman last offseason, too.
—
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Yet even when the objective appears morally compelling, the means by which it is pursued still matter.
—Richard Kiy, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Smaller debts may be written off or pursued through calls and letters only, while larger balances can tip the scale toward legal action.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
In The White Lotus, Lisa portrayed Mook, a staff member at the Thailand health resort, who is being romantically pursued by her co-worker Gaitok, played by Tayme Thapthimthong.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Leavitt had also taken visits to Texas Tech (which landed the other top portal quarterback in Brendon Sorsby, who UM aggressively pursued), Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Historically, states have pursued charges against federal authorities during times of great conflict between states and federal government, such as during the Prohibition Era and when northern states opposed the Fugitive Slave Act.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Sammie manages to escape, though he's pursued by Remmick.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
Duwaji’s now-viral look — a vintage Balenciaga coat paired with Miista’s pointed-toe, lace-up Shelley boots — was put together by Vogue editor–turned–New York stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who, we’re told, actively pursued the mayor’s wife.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 11 Jan. 2026
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Yet even when the objective appears morally compelling, the means by which it is pursued still matter.
—Richard Kiy, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Smaller debts may be written off or pursued through calls and letters only, while larger balances can tip the scale toward legal action.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
In The White Lotus, Lisa portrayed Mook, a staff member at the Thailand health resort, who is being romantically pursued by her co-worker Gaitok, played by Tayme Thapthimthong.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Leavitt had also taken visits to Texas Tech (which landed the other top portal quarterback in Brendon Sorsby, who UM aggressively pursued), Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Historically, states have pursued charges against federal authorities during times of great conflict between states and federal government, such as during the Prohibition Era and when northern states opposed the Fugitive Slave Act.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Sammie manages to escape, though he's pursued by Remmick.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
Duwaji’s now-viral look — a vintage Balenciaga coat paired with Miista’s pointed-toe, lace-up Shelley boots — was put together by Vogue editor–turned–New York stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who, we’re told, actively pursued the mayor’s wife.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pursued
Verb
-
The pursuit ended in Chula Vista when the vehicle being chased crashed into another vehicle.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
-
No, not the space being chased, with the top six teams in each conference advancing directly to the playoffs and the next four to the play-in round.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tech Tutors sought to help seniors The Senior Service Council of Escondido is looking for volunteer tech tutors, tax preparers and receptionists.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Both Paxtons sought to have the case file sealed from public view, but gave up that fight last month after media organizations and a government watchdog group sued to get access.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The city has tracked a 21% increase in flights since the route changes.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The water impacts seemed to clear quickly, though longer-term effects are still being tracked.—
Alejandra Borunda,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Among Brazil’s top exports to the country are soybeans, followed by corn, sugar, and other agricultural products.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Next month, the Winter Olympics will kick off in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, followed shortly by the Paralympics.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The suspects were then caught on camera getting handcuffed and escorted to a police cruiser, body camera footage shows.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
At the end, as Hocking was being escorted back to jail, a family member from the courtroom gallery waved at him.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Rheinmetall revealed that the technology will reduce the production costs of green hydrogen through lower investment in the overall system, accompanied by a doubling of power density or an improvement in efficiency of over 10%.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Each president's portrait is accompanied by a placard describing events during their time in office, including Clinton's impeachment.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pursued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pursued. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
