1
2
: a small board or metal sheet with a handle on the underside used to hold mortar
3
: one who takes a militant or combative attitude (as in a dispute) and advocates immediate vigorous action
especially
: a supporter of a war or warlike policy compare dove entry 1
hawked; hawking; hawks
1
: to hunt birds by means of a trained hawk (see hawk entry 1 sense 1) : to practice falconry
2
: to soar and strike like a hawk (see hawk entry 1 sense 1)
birds hawking after insects
: to hunt (someone or something) in flight like a hawk (see hawk entry 1 sense 1)
hawking insects
hawked; hawking; hawks
1
: to raise by trying to clear the throat
hawk up phlegm
2
informal
: to forcefully spit out (something, such as phlegm) : hock entry 5
hawk a loogie
: to utter a harsh guttural sound in or as if in trying to clear the throat
: an audible effort to force up phlegm from the throat
hawked; hawking; hawks
: to offer (something) for sale by calling out in the street
hawking newspapers
broadly
: sell
Synonyms of hawk
Relevance
Noun (1)
Verb (3)
Examples of hawk in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the hawks were claiming that without war there could be no peace
Verb (3)
a determined bootstrapper who went from hawking newspapers on the street corner to running a media empire
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Iranian state television duly presented the agreement as proof that Iran had compelled America to accept its conditions, which helps explain the alarm in Israel and among Washington's hawks.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 19 June 2026
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 18 June 2026
But while men in suits are hawking skin care to tweens and trying not to be cringe, Gen-X and elder Millennial women have been amassing money, power, and influence.
—Danielle McNally, InStyle, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hawk
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Noun
Many hawks advocated introducing ground troops, but doing so would have made matters much worse.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Iranian state television duly presented the agreement as proof that Iran had compelled America to accept its conditions, which helps explain the alarm in Israel and among Washington's hawks.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 19 June 2026
Verb
Flocks of tourists maneuvered around lumbering delivery trucks, hawked to by distributors of seemingly unlicensed 2026 Knicks championship gear.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 18 June 2026
But while men in suits are hawking skin care to tweens and trying not to be cringe, Gen-X and elder Millennial women have been amassing money, power, and influence.
—Danielle McNally, InStyle, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hawk
Cite this Entry
“Hawk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hawk. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hawk
2 of 4 verb
: to hunt birds by means of a trained hawk
hawk
3 of 4 verb
: to offer for sale by calling out in the street
hawk vegetables
hawk
4 of 4 verb1
: to make a harsh coughing sound in or as if in clearing the throat
2
: to raise by hawking
hawk up phlegm
Etymology
Noun
Old English hafoc "hawk"
Verb
back-formation from 2hawker
Medical Definition
hawk
1 of 2 transitive verb
: to raise by trying to clear the throat
hawk up phlegm
: to make a harsh coughing sound in clearing the throat
hawk
2 of 2 noun
: an audible effort to force up phlegm from the throat
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