as in hobby
an activity outside of one's regular occupation that is engaged in primarily for pleasure
oil painting became the hobbyhorse of her long years of retirement
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Recent Examples of hobbyhorse
It is also blighted by Tanenhaus’s hobbyhorses, which are especially evident in his caviling when promoting his book.
—
The Editors, National Review, 2 June 2025
Both parties instead must make the case that federal funding for research is not a partisan hobbyhorse but a source of long-term economic and political strength.
—David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
The treatment of white farmers in South Africa has been a hobbyhorse of South African X owner Elon Musk for quite a while.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025
In 2017, the National Institutes of Health asked Hotez to meet with Kennedy to move him off the hobbyhorse of a vaccine-autism link.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Mergers and acquisitions of media companies is an area squarely in the FCC’s purview, which cannot be said of Section 230 and more tech-adjacent regulation that have also been Carr hobbyhorses.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Never mind the crime issue or that favorite Trumpian hobbyhorse, immigration and the border.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
The Editors, National Review, 2 June 2025
Both parties instead must make the case that federal funding for research is not a partisan hobbyhorse but a source of long-term economic and political strength.
—David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
The treatment of white farmers in South Africa has been a hobbyhorse of South African X owner Elon Musk for quite a while.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025
In 2017, the National Institutes of Health asked Hotez to meet with Kennedy to move him off the hobbyhorse of a vaccine-autism link.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Mergers and acquisitions of media companies is an area squarely in the FCC’s purview, which cannot be said of Section 230 and more tech-adjacent regulation that have also been Carr hobbyhorses.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Throw these men off their hobbyhorses, off the tracks of their discourse.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
Never mind the crime issue or that favorite Trumpian hobbyhorse, immigration and the border.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobbyhorse
Noun
-
What began as a hobby now earns her over 73,000 Instagram followers.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 July 2025
-
What began as a hobby evolved into a career, supported by commissions and encouragement from fellow Malagasy photographers, including Kevin Ramarohetra.—
Liam Freeman,
Vogue,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
Shifting To Three Words Maybe the two-word sphere is limited and not conducive to our pursuit.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
-
From the hundreds of police and whole neighborhoods of New Yorkers taking to the streets in the immediate days that followed, to the worldwide pursuit that eventually ensued, people everywhere pitched in.—
Lisa R. Cohen,
New York Daily News,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
But in the last few years, the sport has exploded in popularity around the globe.—
Julia Andersen,
CNN Money,
30 July 2025
-
In May, after initially agreeing to defend the sports commission against lawsuits from shooting victims, Cincinnati Specialty Underwriters Insurance Company filed declaratory judgments in federal court, aiming to deny coverage to the sports commission.—
PJ Green
July 30,
Kansas City Star,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Retired from her long vocation as a research chemist, Schafer, at 81, remains on the job with her avocations.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 May 2025
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These avocations can take many shapes—traveling, golf, time with family, snowboarding, knitting, hunting, gardening, fishing, church choir, college football, crossword puzzles, theater, cycling, and walking.—
Wes Moss,
Forbes,
17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Things to do: Number of sports teams, number of amusement places and arcades per capita, number of Traveler's Choice attractions per capita.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
22 July 2025
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The amusement company currently operates 42 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada, according to its website.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hobbyhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobbyhorse. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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