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
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Recent Examples of hobbyhorse
Never mind the crime issue or that favorite Trumpian hobbyhorse, immigration and the border.
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Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
Riding clubs and hobbyhorse camps foster those close connections.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2024
In part that’s because, to climb back on an old hobbyhorse of mine, platforms are still too stingy with the data that might help researchers understand them better.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 24 May 2023
Nor does the Trooper seem to hobbyhorse longitudinally or wobble laterally while running straight on some surfaces, as the S-10 Blazer sometimes does.
—Pete Lyons, Car and Driver, 26 Mar. 2023
The short-wheelbase Suzuki hobbyhorses over these rhythmic disturbances and sets your guts a-bouncing.
—Kevin Smith, Car and Driver, 4 Mar. 2023
This is a hobbyhorse of Washington progressives, both because federal jurisdiction over gun crimes hinges on their movement in interstate commerce, and because bloviating about guns is more palatable than addressing who exactly is using guns illegally, a third rail in Democratic Party politics.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 5 Feb. 2022
Most of the criticism is baseless tripe hatched to advance Trump or some other Fox News hobbyhorse, though there have been plenty of legitimate reasons to bash MSNBC and CNN over the years.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 19 July 2022
Speculation about why this might be so tends to reflect the hobbyhorse of the speculator.
—Zoë Heller, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
Riding clubs and hobbyhorse camps foster those close connections.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2024
In part that’s because, to climb back on an old hobbyhorse of mine, platforms are still too stingy with the data that might help researchers understand them better.
—Casey Newton, The Verge, 24 May 2023
Nor does the Trooper seem to hobbyhorse longitudinally or wobble laterally while running straight on some surfaces, as the S-10 Blazer sometimes does.
—Pete Lyons, Car and Driver, 26 Mar. 2023
The short-wheelbase Suzuki hobbyhorses over these rhythmic disturbances and sets your guts a-bouncing.
—Kevin Smith, Car and Driver, 4 Mar. 2023
This is a hobbyhorse of Washington progressives, both because federal jurisdiction over gun crimes hinges on their movement in interstate commerce, and because bloviating about guns is more palatable than addressing who exactly is using guns illegally, a third rail in Democratic Party politics.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 5 Feb. 2022
Most of the criticism is baseless tripe hatched to advance Trump or some other Fox News hobbyhorse, though there have been plenty of legitimate reasons to bash MSNBC and CNN over the years.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 19 July 2022
Speculation about why this might be so tends to reflect the hobbyhorse of the speculator.
—Zoë Heller, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobbyhorse
Noun
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Overlanding and off-roading are no longer hobbies of extreme thrill seekers with more Americans traversing local trails and taking their pricey sport utility vehicles and trucks with them.Morgan Korn, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2024
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As if grandstanding on anti-trans legislation in Congress wasn’t enough, South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace has a new hobby: saying the t-slur, often, and preferably in front of a camera.Samantha Riedel, Them, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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But the pursuit for photos entangles the two in a homicide involving young celebutantes.Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
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Such admiration undoubtedly stems from his parents, who openly encourage each other’s creative pursuits.Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports.Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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What began as an avocation turned into a serious occupation, as Fox Solomon turned to documenting the remnants of segregation visible in Chattanooga and across the South.Christina Cacouris, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024
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Dramatically groaning and moaning about the heat in the summer is my avocation.Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2024
Noun
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Their hope was to make guests feel an unadulterated sense of amusement while immersed in a warm and welcoming space.Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 13 Dec. 2024
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Any release of tension is amazing — try to embrace the Sagittarius energy by having some amusement.Lisa Stardust, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hobbyhorse
Cite this Entry
“Hobbyhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobbyhorse. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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