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
Lee Munn takes over as Southlake Carroll’s first new head coach since 2018, replacing Riley Dodge and inheriting a program still chasing its first state title since 2011. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 Too often in Season 1, storylines chase the edgiest angle without considering the consequences for its characters. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
Despite dropping back in the final kilometers, overall leader Tadej Pogačar limited his time losses by driving the main chase group across the line. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 The almost 27-minute-long trailer features a whirlwind of gameplay to expect at launch in November, including car chases, heists, and robberies, plus various side missions such as scuba diving, weightlifting, and maybe even backyard wrestling. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 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
  • Co-owner John Mara is battling cancer, and co-owner Steve Tisch is laying low after being outed in the Epstein Files.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Then the rest of the game occurred, a 20-12 victory in which Ty Simpson emerged with arguably the best rookie quarterback outing across the league over the weekend.
    — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of out
Verb
  • In his view, that includes a public education fund, though there are dozens of states along with cities, counties and school districts that will all be pursuing various remedies.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • That lack of investment in domestic infrastructure has in turn helped enable governments led by Carney and his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, to pursue their virtue signaling net-zero by 2050 goals.
    — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of pursue
Verb
  • Other than that, he’s never seemed confident that the future will turn out all right, although he’s kept on working out his worries onscreen, forever hunting for flakes of hope in the rubble.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The woods surrounding the cottage also needed work to remove trash, deteriorating hunting structures and invasive species, the letter said.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hunt
Verb
  • The core experience for me is being in the car, just having a good time, feeling the downforce, feeling the Gs, hearing the sound, and racing the car on a track.
    — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Now, as companies race to effectively deploy AI into business processes, that model is spreading like wildfire.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of race
Noun
  • That allowed sea water to infiltrate freshwater tributaries across the peninsula, especially in lagoons and deltas where clam and mussel farms provided ample prey.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Dolphins are versatile predators that adjust their diet based on local prey availability, Callan said.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of prey
Noun
  • In a great dramatic irony, his artistic pursuits, far away from the regimented goal of militaristic stoicism, lead to his initial tryout.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But the same steadfast pursuit that’s placed the attorney at the center of nearly every call for racial justice in the past decade has earned Crump more than a few detractors.
    — Ryan Young, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of pursuit
Verb
  • But Smith dismissed the idea that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was trying to boost his chances in upcoming domestic elections.
    — Samantha Subin,CJ Haddad,Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Also Tuesday, just after court was dismissed, Dawn Light, 56, of Sutton, Massachusetts, was arrested outside the courthouse in Plymouth, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police confirmed.
    — Blayne Alexander, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • The second system being tracked by the NHC was a weak area of low pressure with disorganized cloudiness and showers located in the northeastern and north-central Gulf.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Charlotte Observer will be tracking all the movement in this live blog.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
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 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chase

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chase

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