in hock
idiom
informal
1
: in the possession of a pawnbroker
His gold watch is in hock.
2
: in debt
He is in hock to his boss for several thousand dollars.
Examples of in hock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unfortunately, his past comes back to haunt him when Finney turns out to be deeply in hock to Big Cat, who sends her goons to inflict some physical damage.
—
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Sure, Sang-hyeon, who runs a hand laundry, and cohort Dong-soo, who works at said church, could use the dough; times are tight and, on the front burner, Sang-hyeon is in hock to the local mob.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
Numerous family troubles soon become evident, from Lydia’s bitter rivalry with her sister (Tia Carrere) to his cousin Eugene (Eugene Cordero) being in hock to the tune of $40,000 to a local gangster wannabe (Asif Ali).
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2022
But for most of them, leaving would mean breaking their contracts and leaving family members in Vietnam in hock to labor brokers and loan sharks who paid their way to Serbia, the workers say.
—New York Times, 22 Jan. 2022
Yet that's only one way in which Democrats are stomping on their own message because their own members are in hock to vested interests.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 19 Nov. 2021
Like many cities, Nashville is also in hock to pensioners, with $4.3 billion in unfunded promises for retiree healthcare.
—Steven Malanga, WSJ, 28 Apr. 2021
Is Trump's business in hock to Russian financiers?
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 22 Dec. 2020
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illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Sure, Sang-hyeon, who runs a hand laundry, and cohort Dong-soo, who works at said church, could use the dough; times are tight and, on the front burner, Sang-hyeon is in hock to the local mob.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
Numerous family troubles soon become evident, from Lydia’s bitter rivalry with her sister (Tia Carrere) to his cousin Eugene (Eugene Cordero) being in hock to the tune of $40,000 to a local gangster wannabe (Asif Ali).
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2022
But for most of them, leaving would mean breaking their contracts and leaving family members in Vietnam in hock to labor brokers and loan sharks who paid their way to Serbia, the workers say.
—New York Times, 22 Jan. 2022
Yet that's only one way in which Democrats are stomping on their own message because their own members are in hock to vested interests.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 19 Nov. 2021
Like many cities, Nashville is also in hock to pensioners, with $4.3 billion in unfunded promises for retiree healthcare.
—Steven Malanga, WSJ, 28 Apr. 2021
Is Trump's business in hock to Russian financiers?
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 22 Dec. 2020
Dictionary Entries Near in hock
Cite this Entry
“In hock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20hock. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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