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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 hobbyhorse
The notion that Winston Churchill, not the German Führer, was the villain in World War II — another of Buchanan’s hobbyhorses — is again gaining ground on the right.
—
Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2025
There must have been hundreds of them made, a stable of hobbyhorses, and one had ended up in the basement of our house in Massachusetts.
—Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Old-fashioned hobbyhorses entice shoppers to imagine riding on them.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2025
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
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
Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2025
There must have been hundreds of them made, a stable of hobbyhorses, and one had ended up in the basement of our house in Massachusetts.
—Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Old-fashioned hobbyhorses entice shoppers to imagine riding on them.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobbyhorse
Noun
-
Reading as a hobby is still a tradition that is alive and well, and the French love showing off their bookshelf wealth.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Incoming freshmen submit a few pictures and a little about themselves, such as hometown, prospective major, hobbies and interests.—
Mary Frances Ruskell,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond the question of criminal referrals, the commission’s report urged DHS to restrict certain ICE and Customs and Border Protection practices, including the use of chemical agents, physical force and vehicle pursuits during civil immigration enforcement.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Tillis, speaking to The Washington Post after the Comey charges were announced, sounded skeptical about the case and seemed to directly link a confirmation vote for Boyle to the pursuit of actual crime.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At this year's event, held at Pura Padel, Holland participated with other BERO higher-ups in a friendly tournament of padel, a racquet sport that's probably best described as a combination of squash and tennis.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
No team in any sport from a City school has ever produced a longer streak and no coach has more City crowns than Kling’s 55 (33 boys, 22 girls).—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As Sottile sees it, the dog-show economy thrives on dog lovers’ sense of avocation.—
Kelli María Korducki,
HubSpot,
6 Feb. 2026
-
My vocation as a writer and editor and my avocation as a gardener and composter go hand in hand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Laid-back Orange Beach offers the same unbeatable sugar-soft shoreline, plus family-friendly amusement and water parks, dolphin cruises, nature trails, championship golf, fishing excursions, and free concerts.—
Anne Olivia Bauso,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Apr. 2026
-
As their story spread, millions of viewers reacted with a mix of shock and amusement at the dramatic itinerary switch.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hobbyhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobbyhorse. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
