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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 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
One unusual pet has been returned to its owner after a hot pursuit caught on police camera last month.
—Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 29 Oct. 2024
Sometimes, the concept of hot pursuit is used to downplay incidental border incursions.
—Lionel Beehner, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2014
But whether the United States could invoke hot pursuit to chase militants into Syria is a different question altogether.
—Lionel Beehner, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2014
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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 22 Dec. 2024.
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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