manhunt
Americannoun
-
an intensive search for a criminal, suspect, escaped convict, etc., as by law enforcement agencies.
-
an intensive search for any person.
noun
Other Word Forms
- man hunter noun
- manhunter noun
Etymology
Origin of manhunt
Explanation
When police assemble a team to search for a criminal, it's called a manhunt, even if the person they're looking for is a woman. After an armed bank robbery or a prison escape is reported, the local police department sometimes launches a manhunt to search for the perpetrator. The crime that's been committed has to be fairly serious to result in a manhunt, because it requires extra officers. In some cases, the FBI might even get involved in a manhunt.
Vocabulary lists containing manhunt
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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.
Freeman's family have condemned his actions and have been closely watched by police during the manhunt; his wife was reportedly shocked by Monday's news, having thought he was already dead.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
He essentially became part of the inner circle of grief as the case, and the ensuing police manhunt, dominated the news cycle.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
“The manhunt of the main individual that can give you all the answers be prepared to go international,” the letter reads, according to Levin.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026
Following an unexpected meeting of minds between presidents Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro, three Colombian drug kingpins find themselves the target of a joint US-Colombia manhunt.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
With his simple plan, Jones foiled the whole manhunt for John Wilkes Booth.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
