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

Noun (1) the gazelle is a favorite chase of lions a high-speed car chase Verb (1) chased the cat out of the garden a dog that likes to chase cars owls often chase mice in the dark they chased all over the place to find the missing child
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver—identified as Jaime Gonzalez, a Laredo resident—responded by leading officers on a car chase, Chris Olivarez, a DPS spokesperson, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 The driver of the vehicle, who police identified as Jacqueline Nunez, was seen on video leading officers on a chase through several different streets in town before finally coming to a stop. Stepheny Price, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Bucks are cruising, chasing, and tending estrus does. Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024 There was shouting and general mayhem, punches were thrown and some local Democratic and election officials were chased around the building. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chase 

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 23 Nov. 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

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