manhunt

noun

man·​hunt ˈman-ˌhənt How to pronounce manhunt (audio)
: an organized and usually intensive hunt for a person and especially for one charged with a crime

Examples of manhunt in a Sentence

After several days of searching, the sheriff called off the manhunt. The FBI launched a manhunt to find the kidnappers.
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.
Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Kirk’s killing, was arrested after a 33-hour manhunt. — Connor Greene, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 Dallas police said an officer fired their weapon, and Melo-Munoz ran away, prompting a manhunt. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 An international manhunt is underway for an Arizona man who's a suspect in the deaths of both his parents, with police finding their bodies buried in a backyard. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Broward deputies had announced a manhunt for Matthew Holloway just last week. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for manhunt

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manhunt was in 1833

Rhymes for manhunt

See All Rhymes for manhunt

Browse Nearby Words

man-hour
manhunt
man hunter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Manhunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manhunt. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

manhunt

noun
man·​hunt -ˌhənt How to pronounce manhunt (audio)
: an organized hunt for a person and especially for one charged with a crime

More from Merriam-Webster on manhunt

Nglish: Translation of manhunt for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All