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hot pursuit
noun
: close and avid or intense pursuit
specifically
: close continuous pursuit of a fleeing suspected lawbreaker or hostile military force especially across territorial lines
Examples of hot pursuit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In late 2008, China agreed to join a multilateral naval operation in the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy, which allowed for hot pursuit into Somali territorial waters.
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Thomas J. Christensen, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2015
Creating personalized charm necklaces — a service now offered by more and more jewelry brands in brick-and-mortar as well as online capacities — is clearly a hot pursuit.
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Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 8 Jan. 2025
City Police Car and Muscle Car Chase With this exciting Lego set, builders ages 6 and up can embark on a hot pursuit and catch the criminal.
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Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
In an interview for the SABR Bio Project, Henley recounted the details of the fateful play:
(George) Shuba shot a ball to deep right-center field, and Henley turned in hot pursuit.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1743, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hot pursuit
Cite this Entry
“Hot pursuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20pursuit. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
Legal Definition
hot pursuit
noun
hot pur·suit
: the immediate and continuous pursuit by police officers of a fleeing suspect whose possible escape justifies the failure of the officers to obtain a warrant before making an entry, search, seizure, or arrest
More from Merriam-Webster on hot pursuit
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hot pursuit
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hot pursuit
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