chase 1 of 2

Definition of chasenext
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chase

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noun

1
as in prey
an animal that is hunted or killed the gazelle is a favorite chase of lions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word chase distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of chase are follow, pursue, and trail. While all these words mean "to go after or on the track of something or someone," chase implies going swiftly after and trying to overtake something fleeing or running.

a dog chasing a cat

When could follow be used to replace chase?

The words follow and chase are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, follow puts less emphasis upon speed or intent to overtake.

friends followed me home in their car

When is it sensible to use pursue instead of chase?

While the synonyms pursue and chase are close in meaning, pursue suggests a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain.

pursued the criminal through narrow streets

When can trail be used instead of chase?

The synonyms trail and chase are sometimes interchangeable, but trail may stress a following of tracks or traces rather than a visible object.

trail deer
trailed a suspect across the country

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 chase
Verb
The best eclipse experience may not belong to those who chase the longest seconds of totality. David Nikel, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026 As an organization that focused on chasing a Stanley Cup year in and year out, Tampa Bay has traded a lot of its top draft equity. Eduardo Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Noun
Players can lean into quiet infiltration with gadgets and disguises, or push for direct firefights and rooftop chase sequences when the situation calls for it. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026 The vehicle reportedly sped away, and police gave chase until the vehicle crashed at the roundabout near the Sevier Street/South Street Interstate 30 overpass, the post says. Arkansas Online, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for chase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chase
Verb
  • As one fan shared plans for a group birthday outing to the movie next month, Riley urged them to go sooner.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 May 2026
  • Predators specifically look for environments where families naturally lower their guard and assume someone else is paying attention, turning a routine family outing into a nightmare.
    Maureen Flatley, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • The drone logistics sector has largely pursued faster, heavier aircraft capable of carrying large deliveries over long distances.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026
  • The duo originally conceived the company while studying at Cornell University, ultimately choosing to leave their studies to pursue that mission.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Students at a California elementary school are banding together to raise awareness and money to save the bald eagle hunting area at San Bernardino National Forest's Big Bear Valley, home of the viral bald eagles Jackie and Shadow.
    Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 14 May 2026
  • Becky Hill reads Alex Murdaugh 2023 guilty verdict In 2023, Murdaugh was convicted of gunning down his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting estate in 2021.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Both companies are racing for the public market, with SpaceX expected to disclose its prospectus as soon as this week, ahead of what could be a record offering next month.
    Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 18 May 2026
  • The company is racing to have Starship ready for next year’s revamped Artemis III mission, which calls for Starship’s upper stage to rendezvous with NASA’s Orion capsule — the same vehicle that carried the Artemis II astronauts around the moon last month — while orbiting Earth.
    Denise Chow, NBC news, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • But for predatory species that need prey to eat, growing them in a lab is more challenging.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
  • As prey moved deeper or disappeared in warming waters, marine mammals were forced to travel farther and work harder to find food, leaving more stranded or in distress along the coast.
    Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Noun
  • Allin, showing his guts, kept his pursuit of glory.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
  • Certainly like Trump in his first race for the presidency, Pratt is upping his brand (and book sales) in the process of his electoral pursuits.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • The court recommended that the petition be dismissed, and that the organizations be given one month to submit the employee lists.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
  • Even the foundations of today’s artificial intelligence boom were laid by the NSF in the 1980s and 1990s, when neural networks were a backwater dismissed by mainstream computer science.
    Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • The goofy quest is a Reply All trope; the pair once travelled to the Middle East to track down a hacker who tried to take over their personal computers.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
  • Elijah tried to track down the people who booked him in order to get his payment, and that’s when a dispute broke out and more shots were fired, Kirven said.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chase. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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