chase

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
a
: the hunting of wild animals
used with the
b
: the act of chasing : pursuit
The police caught the robbers after a high-speed chase on the highway.
c
: an earnest or frenzied seeking after something desired
this mad chase of fameJohn Dryden
2
: something pursued : quarry
A fox was the hunter's chase.
3
: a tract of unenclosed land used as a game preserve
4
: steeplechase sense 1
observed the chase with binoculars
5
: a sequence (as in a movie) in which the characters pursue one another
The movie's chases involved cars and helicopters.

chase

2 of 5

verb (1)

chased; chasing

transitive verb

1
a
: to follow rapidly : pursue
a dog chasing a rabbit
b
: hunt
c
: to follow regularly or persistently with the intention of attracting or alluring
He was always chasing after women.
2
obsolete : harass
3
: to seek out
often used with down
detectives chasing down clues
4
: to cause to depart or flee : drive
chase the dog out of the garden
5
: to cause the removal of (a baseball pitcher) by a batting rally
6
: to swing at (a baseball pitched out of the strike zone)

intransitive verb

1
: to chase an animal, person, or thing
chase after material possessions
2
: rush, hasten
chased all over town looking for a place to stay

chase

3 of 5

verb (2)

chased; chasing

transitive verb

1
a
: to ornament (metal) by indenting with a hammer and tools without a cutting edge
b
: to make by such indentation
c
: to set with gems
2
a
b
: to cut (a thread) with a chaser

chase

4 of 5

noun (2)

1
2
: the bore of a cannon
3
a
: trench
b
: a channel (as in a wall) for something to lie in or pass through

chase

5 of 5

noun (3)

: a rectangular steel or iron frame in which letterpress matter is locked (as for printing)
Choose the Right Synonym for chase

chase, pursue, follow, trail 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

pursue suggests a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain.

pursued the criminal through narrow streets

follow puts less emphasis upon speed or intent to overtake.

friends followed me home in their car

trail may stress a following of tracks or traces rather than a visible object.

trail deer
trailed a suspect across the country

Examples of chase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Amy, 61, cut straight to the chase and asked Caryn to see her diamond ring. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 Speeding was the most common violation to prompt a chase in 2021, followed by vehicle theft. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 Jackson was in police chase hours before fatal crash, according to court records Jackson was charged with four counts of armed robbery in 2020 and had been out bail since August 2021. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 The premiere sets the clock ticking from the day of Lincoln’s death, and chronicles Stanton’s 12-day chase over seven hour-long episodes. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 His attackers gave chase, caught Lord, and in a matter of seconds beat him and left him lying on the side of a street, prosecutors said. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 After a short chase, the woman in the car surrendered. Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 Helicopters also allow law enforcement to more safely track suspects during high-speed pursuits, officials said, dramatically reducing the number of collisions from such chases. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 But after stopping momentarily, Caro-Mena took off in the Camaro and police gave chase, Zabaleta said. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
She had been chased by a bounty hunter and two deputies. Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024 Quinn said coyotes have the instinct to chase after moving targets. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 But Reddit’s offering is four to five times oversubscribed, with the company chasing a $6.5 billion valuation, Reuters reported. Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 The man allegedly admitted to stealing the wallet and said he was chased by Scott for multiple blocks. Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 Ukrainian soldiers spent hours ducking in trenches as artillery exploded around them, then dashed for the safety of an armored personnel carrier — only to be chased through the open rear ramp of the vehicle by an exploding drone. Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Younger kids chased one another and dodged oncoming traffic. Jared Lemus, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024 Profile: Donner will swiftly chase any toys his friends throw and likes being the center of attention playing in the yard. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Now, the woman who was once happy to let her husband lead chases the adventures herself: Hot air balloon rides over the Maasai Mara in Kenya, zip lining through a St. Lucia rainforest, and meditating with a Buddhist monk in South Korea, among them. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chase.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French chace, from chacer — see chase entry 2

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French chacer, from Vulgar Latin *captiare — more at catch

Verb (2)

Middle English, modification of Anglo-French enchaser to set

Noun (2)

French chas eye of a needle, from Late Latin capsus enclosed space, alteration of Latin capsa box — more at case

Noun (3)

probably from French châsse frame, reliquary, from Middle French chasse, from Latin capsa

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chase was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near chase

Cite this Entry

“Chase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chase. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chase

1 of 3 noun
1
a
: the hunting of animals
used with the
b
: the act of chasing : pursuit
saw the thief and gave chase
2
: something pursued
3
: a scene (as in a movie) where the characters chase one another

chase

2 of 3 verb
chased; chasing
1
: to follow in order to capture or overtake
chase a thief
chase the bus
2
: hunt entry 1 sense 1
chase the fox
3
: to drive away or out
chase a dog off the lawn
chaser noun

chase

3 of 3 verb
chased; chasing
: to decorate (metal) by indenting with a hammer and tools without cutting edges

Biographical Definition

Chase 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Mary Ellen 1887–1973 American educator and author

Chase

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Sal*mon ˈsa-mən How to pronounce Chase (audio)
ˈsal-
Portland 1808–1873 American statesman; chief justice U.S. Supreme Court (1864–73)

More from Merriam-Webster on chase

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!