chase 1 of 2

verb

Definition of chasenext
1
as in to out
to drive or force out chased the cat out of the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pursue
to go after or on the track of a dog that likes to chase cars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to hunt
to seek out (game) for food or sport owls often chase mice in the dark

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to race
to proceed or move quickly they chased all over the place to find the missing child

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chase

2 of 2

noun

ˈchās How to pronounce chase (audio)
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
2
as in pursuit
the act of going after or in the tracks of another a high-speed car chase

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Wanda will be newly married to Leon and chasing a whole new hustle while still dealing with the streets and all that comes with it. —Essence, 5 Sep. 2025 Aesthetically and emotionally, Swag II is dawn chasing darkness away. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Agents arrested Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse after a brief foot chase. —Scott Bauer, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 Here, one chase in Texas, there, another in North Dakota. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chase
  1. out
  2. pursue
  3. hunt
  4. race
  5. prey
  6. pursuit
  7. dismiss
  8. track
Verb
  • Sports piracy has become so widespread that even professional athletes, like Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (who was spotted using Streameast in May 2024) and Seattle Seahawks' Tariq Woolen, have been outed as users.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The star linebacker then made a spectacle of his final preseason outing with the team.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Definition of out
Verb
  • But Stander and other preservationists are pursuing other avenues and got a boost last month.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The jury saw extensive emails between Donna and Wendi that showed how Donna pushed Wendi to pursue relocation to South Florida at any cost, including offering her ex-husband $1 million and taunting him with the possibility of converting their kids from Judaism to Catholicism.
    — Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Definition of pursue
Verb
  • Originally built in 1888 as a hunting lodge for the Austrian imperial family, Grand Hotel Fasano has evolved over the decades from a regal retreat into a gathering place for Europe's creative elite.
    — Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Twelve days after Smith fled, authorities received a call that two men had been shot while on a hunting trip near Kiana.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of hunt
Verb
  • Several drugmakers, including Novo Nordisk's chief rival Eli Lilly, have been racing to develop obesity pills, which may help alleviate the supply shortfalls and issues accessing the injections on the market.
    — Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The 40-year-old Froome, who races for Israel–Premier Tech, was airlifted to hospital following a crash during training on August 27, undergoing surgery a day later.
    — Ben Morse, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of race
Noun
  • Tug-of-war also channels a dog’s natural instincts of capturing prey, keeping them engaged.
    — Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Each individual polyp is equipped with a mouth that is surrounded by tentacles that can protect itself or pull prey into their mouths, NOAA says.
    — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of prey
Noun
  • The Regency-era romantic drama follows the lives of esteemed families of the British high society and their romantic pursuits through the lens of mysterious gossip columnist, Lady Whistledown.
    — Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Richard Hughes’ reputation is at an all-time high, given the success of his negotiations with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk last season, allied with his successful pursuits of Wirtz, Isak, Hugo Ekitike, et al.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Definition of pursuit
Verb
  • The actor denied the allegations, and the case was later dismissed, per The Hollywood Reporter.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities.
    — John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • Its systems act as a 3D camera, tracking up to 15,000 collisions each second.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The college attributed increasing nonparticipating student counts to improved methods of tracking student participation.
    — Edward McKinnon, Arkansas Online, 4 Sep. 2025
Definition of track

Phrases Containing chase

Browse Nearby Words

chary
chase
chased
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Cite this Entry

“Chase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chase. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chase

Nglish: Translation of chase for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chase

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