manhunt

[ man-huhnt ]

/ ˈmænˌhʌnt /

noun

an intensive search for a criminal, suspect, escaped convict, etc., as by law enforcement agencies.

an intensive search for any person.

Nearby words

manhelper, manhire, manhole, manhood, manhood suffrage, manhunt, mani, mani-pedi, mania, maniac, maniacal

Origin of manhunt

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; man¹ + hunt

Related formsman hunter, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for manhunt

For them the 18-day search for the Israeli teens and the manhunt for their captors was tantamount to collective punishment.
There Is No Moral Equivalent to the Murder of Three Israeli Teenagers|Thane Rosenbaum|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A joint U.S.-Mexico security operation ended a 13-year manhunt for El Chapo, the head of the feared Sinaloa cartel.
Will El Chapo Rule From Prison?|John P. Sullivan|February 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, a manhunt for the owners of a nursing home, just south of the city, was rough cosmic justice come at last.
One Lawyer’s Quest to Right New Orleans’ Wrongs|Jason Berry|November 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But the manhunt is unlikely to stop the street artist folk hero.
New Yorkers Are Calling Out Banksy|Nina Strochlic|October 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST

We tossed around a lot of words last week after the Boston Marathon bombing and the manhunt for the Tsarnaev brothers.
Senseless. Evil. Silver Linings. Our Misguided Terms of Terror.|William Giraldi|April 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That was Federation-wide news; the end of a fifteen-year manhunt for the most wanted criminal in the known Galaxy.
Four-Day Planet|Henry Beam Piper
They told how Tomo was wrought to a pitch of frenzied interest by this manhunt.
Way of the Lawless|Max Brand
This made the dude keep still; but he did dislike this “manhunt” in the thick brush of Acorn Island.
The Girls of Central High in Camp|Gertrude W. Morrison
But everybody seemed to know about the manhunt that was going on, here, there, and everywhere.
Danny's Own Story|Don Marquis
It was not an especially auspicious beginning to their manhunt.
Agent Nine and the Jewel Mystery|Graham M. Dean

British Dictionary definitions for manhunt

manhunt

/ (ˈmænˌhʌnt) /

noun

an organized search, usually by police, for a wanted man or fugitive

Derived Formsmanhunter, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012