hashtag
Americannoun
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hashtags
plural
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(on social media websites)
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a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it.
The hashtag #sandiegofire was used to help coordinate an emergency response to the fire.
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a hash mark used in this way.
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a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#) or by the word hashtag , used to add wit or emphasis to a spoken or written statement.
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a hash mark or the word hashtag used in this way, as in the sentence His goodbye was so hashtag awkward.
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verb (used with or without object)
noun
Usage
What does hashtag mean? A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), also known as a pound sign, used primarily on social media. On social media, hashtags provide users a way to search for posts related to the word or phrase in the hashtag. You can click on a hashtag to see a list of recent posts that include that keyword. (A couple of our favorites are #WordOfTheDay and #WordNerd.)To hashtag means to add a hashtag to a word, topic, or message, as in We hashtag our posts about history with #HistoryMatters so you can find them easily. Example: Use the hashtag #petthedog with a video of you petting your dog for a chance to win our contest.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hashtag
First recorded in 2005–10; hash (mark) + tag 1 (in the sense “a label or keyword”)
Explanation
A hashtag is a keyword or phrase that's used on social media. By searching for a certain hashtag, you can easily find the cute cat content you're looking for. To create a hashtag, type # (which is variously called the "number sign," "pound sign," or "hash") followed by a word. You might post about a successful pie-baking experiment and use the hashtags #pie, #sourcherrypie, and #baking. And if you're looking for content about capybaras, just click on #capybara and you'll see a list of every photo or post with that hashtag. The very first hashtags appeared on Twitter in 2007, and they quickly spread across all social media.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The hashtag “comedy” has 20 billion views on TikTok and genres such as stand-up and sketch comedy grow every year, according to Business Insider.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Meanwhile, social media users have shown support by sharing the hashtag #IAmJaneDoe on TikTok, X and Instagram.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
When she took office she rebuffed aides who suggested she start tweeting: "People don't say 'pass me the hashtag newspaper, or I'd like a hashtag coffee'." Announcements were to be made formally.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
“Another bonding week,” Rodgers wrote, adding the hashtag #fam.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
“When it makes a hashtag out of you, I’ll have two ghosts to deal with.”
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
And, yes, lengthy, instructive captions and special hashtags still help boost posts.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
At the end of the meeting, Smiley encouraged people to continue to push for the completion of the project and to post on social media with hashtags such as #KeepThePromiseCrenshaw, #ProcrastinationCrenshaw and #DestinationCrenshaw.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
On TikTok and Instagram, hashtags such as #malefertility, #semenanalysis and #sperm attract hundreds of millions of views, while online communities dedicated to improving sperm health have grown rapidly.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
While older generations may not always understand activism expressed through hashtags, online campaigns and viral trends, these are modern forms of political participation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Anyway, I think Mr. Neely has managed to brainwash me with his hashtags and experiments, because I kept thinking about the scientific process during therapy.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
An NFL spokesman confirmed to AFP that the boy was an actor, and an Instagram post seemingly from the child in question, Lincoln Fox, was hashtagged #youngbadbunny.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
Burke, 49, had coined “Me Too” as part of her advocacy work more than a decade before a hashtagged tweet from actor Alyssa Milano, in the wake of the Weinstein allegations, saw the phrase explode.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 14, 2022
Slovak media reported the main suspect had posted messages with the phrases “hate crime” and “gay bar” hashtagged on Twitter.
From Reuters ● Oct. 13, 2022
“Racism” and “ableism” can be found in a few more places, usually hashtagged at the end of tweets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2022
On TikTok, videos hashtagged #SamLevinson have received nearly 40 million all-time views, the company said.
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2022
Someone had used it in a magazine cover, and all these Muslims found it hilarious and were hashtagging it and joking about it.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022
But you with your armchair analysis, and you tweeting, and you're hashtagging, that's not helping me.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2021
“We just need people to keep hashtagging, keep sharing the report,” Whitaker said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2020
Chefs, cafe and restaurant owners, baristas and liquor producers around the country are pledging their support and hashtagging their efforts on Instagram under #restaurantsforrelief.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 16, 2020
Anyone hashtagging #ThankYouObama ignore the haters and negative comments.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 16, 2016
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
