130 Dynamic Synonyms for Chase to Sharpen Your Word Choice

The word chase is a versatile verb that can describe running after a person, pursuing a goal, tracking an animal, seeking an opportunity, or trying to obtain something difficult to reach. Because these meanings differ, the best synonyms for chase depend heavily on context.

For example, you might pursue a career, track a suspect, hunt for an answer, follow a vehicle, or seek an opportunity. These words share part of the meaning of chase, but they are not always interchangeable.

This guide covers 60 useful synonyms and alternatives for chase, explaining their meanings, natural contexts, connotations, and differences so you can choose a word that fits your sentence precisely.

Quick Answer: Best Synonyms for Chase

What Does Chase Mean?

Chase is primarily a verb meaning to follow or pursue someone or something in an attempt to catch, reach, obtain, or achieve it.

The word can describe literal movement:

The dog chased the squirrel across the yard.

It can also describe figurative pursuit:

She is chasing her dream of becoming a doctor.

Other common senses include pursuing money, opportunities, recognition, answers, customers, criminals, deadlines, or romantic interests.

As a noun, chase can refer to the act of pursuing someone or something:

The police chase continued for several miles.

Because chase covers both physical and figurative pursuit, there is no single synonym that works naturally in every sentence.

Pronunciation and Word Forms of Chase

Pronunciation: /tʃeɪs/ — rhymes with face and place.

Common forms include:

• Chase — base verb or noun
• Chases — third-person singular
• Chased — past tense and past participle
• Chasing — present participle or gerund
• Chaser — someone or something that chases

The grammatical form matters when replacing chase. For example, pursue becomes pursued, while run after becomes ran after in the past tense.

Connotation of Chase

Chase usually suggests active effort directed toward something that is moving away, difficult to obtain, or not yet achieved.

Its connotation changes by context:

• Neutral: chasing a ball
• Competitive: chasing first place
• Ambitious: chasing success
• Urgent: chasing a fleeing suspect
• Negative: chasing fame at any cost
• Playful: children chasing one another

More formal words such as pursue can make the same idea sound deliberate and professional, while alternatives such as hound or stalk introduce much stronger negative connotations.

60 Synonyms and Alternatives for Chase

1. Pursue

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To follow or work toward someone or something persistently.

Best Used For: Goals, careers, opportunities, suspects, and ambitions.

Example: She decided to pursue a career in medicine.

Nuance: Pursue is one of the closest synonyms for chase and sounds more formal and deliberate.

Synonym Strength: Very Close

2. Follow

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To move behind someone or something along the same route.

Best Used For: Physical movement and continued observation.

Example: The detective followed the car through downtown.

Nuance: Follow does not necessarily imply an attempt to catch the target.

Synonym Strength: Close

3. Run After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To run behind someone or something in an attempt to catch them.

Best Used For: Literal physical chasing.

Example: The child ran after the rolling ball.

Nuance: This is one of the most direct everyday alternatives for physical chase.

Synonym Strength: Very Close

4. Go After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To pursue, attempt to catch, or try to obtain something.

Best Used For: People, opportunities, goals, and targets.

Example: He decided to go after the promotion.

Nuance: More conversational than pursue.

Synonym Strength: Very Close

5. Track

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To follow the movement, location, or signs of someone or something.

Best Used For: Animals, suspects, packages, data, or movements.

Example: Rangers tracked the animal through the forest.

Nuance: Tracking emphasizes locating or monitoring rather than catching.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

6. Hunt

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To search actively for someone or something.

Best Used For: Animals, missing objects, suspects, opportunities, or information.

Example: Investigators hunted for additional evidence.

Nuance: Hunt emphasizes searching, whereas chase often emphasizes pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

7. Seek

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To try to find, obtain, or achieve something.

Best Used For: Information, opportunities, help, approval, or goals.

Example: The company is seeking new investors.

Nuance: Seek is calmer and less physical than chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

8. Trail

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To follow behind someone or something.

Best Used For: People, vehicles, investigators, and animals.

Example: The officer trailed the vehicle from a safe distance.

Nuance: Often suggests discreet or continuous following rather than rapid pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

9. Stalk

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To follow or approach stealthily and persistently.

Best Used For: Predators hunting prey or unwanted persistent following.

Example: The tiger stalked its prey through the grass.

Nuance: When applied to people, stalk has a serious negative meaning and is not a neutral substitute for chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

10. Hound

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To pursue or bother someone persistently.

Best Used For: Relentless questioning, demands, or unwanted attention.

Example: Reporters hounded the celebrity for a comment.

Nuance: Strongly suggests persistent pressure or harassment.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

11. Shadow

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To follow someone closely, often without being noticed.

Best Used For: Surveillance and investigation.

Example: Detectives shadowed the suspect throughout the afternoon.

Nuance: Emphasizes discreet observation rather than catching.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

12. Pursue After

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To continue following someone or something.

Best Used For: Literal pursuit, especially in older or more formal constructions.

Example: The riders pursued after the fleeing group.

Nuance: Usually less natural in modern English than simply pursue.

Synonym Strength: Close

13. Race After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To move very quickly after someone or something.

Best Used For: Urgent physical pursuit.

Example: She raced after the bus before it left the stop.

Nuance: Adds speed and urgency.

Synonym Strength: Close

14. Sprint After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To run at high speed in pursuit.

Best Used For: Short, intense physical chases.

Example: He sprinted after the thief.

Nuance: More specific than chase because it describes the manner of movement.

Synonym Strength: Narrower

15. Dash After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To move suddenly and quickly after something.

Best Used For: Brief, urgent pursuit.

Example: She dashed after her dog when the gate opened.

Nuance: Suggests sudden action.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

16. Hurry After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To move quickly behind someone.

Best Used For: Everyday situations involving urgency.

Example: He hurried after his friends.

Nuance: Usually less intense than race after or sprint after.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

17. Rush After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To move quickly in pursuit of someone or something.

Best Used For: Sudden or urgent pursuit.

Example: The owner rushed after the runaway dog.

Nuance: Emphasizes urgency rather than sustained pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Close

18. Charge After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To move forcefully and rapidly toward or after someone.

Best Used For: Aggressive pursuit.

Example: The bull charged after the intruder.

Nuance: Much more forceful and aggressive than chase.

Synonym Strength: Narrower

19. Pursue Closely

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To remain near a person or target while following.

Best Used For: Competitions or physical pursuit.

Example: The second-place runner pursued the leader closely.

Nuance: Highlights proximity during pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Close

20. Give Chase

Part of Speech: Idiomatic Verb Phrase

Meaning: To begin pursuing someone who is escaping.

Best Used For: Police, action, sports, and narrative writing.

Example: The officer gave chase when the suspect fled.

Nuance: A conventional expression specifically associated with active pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Very Close

21. Pursue Relentlessly

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To continue pursuing without giving up.

Best Used For: Persistent pursuit of people, goals, or objectives.

Example: The team pursued the championship relentlessly.

Nuance: Stronger than ordinary chase because it explicitly emphasizes persistence.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

22. Tail

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To secretly follow someone, especially for surveillance.

Best Used For: Police, detectives, spies, and investigations.

Example: The agents tailed the suspect across the city.

Nuance: Focuses on covert following.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

23. Trace

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To discover or follow the course, origin, or location of something.

Best Used For: Calls, transactions, ancestry, movements, or evidence.

Example: Investigators traced the payment to another account.

Nuance: Usually involves reconstructing a path rather than physically chasing something.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

24. Pursue On Foot

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To follow someone by running or walking after them.

Best Used For: Police reports and physical pursuits.

Example: The officer pursued the suspect on foot.

Nuance: A specific description of how a chase occurs.

Synonym Strength: Narrower

25. Close In On

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To gradually approach and reduce the distance from a target.

Best Used For: Pursuits, competitions, investigations, and captures.

Example: The officers were closing in on the fugitive.

Nuance: Describes gaining on the target rather than the entire chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

26. Gain On

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To reduce the distance between yourself and something ahead.

Best Used For: Races and physical pursuit.

Example: The cyclist began gaining on the leader.

Nuance: Describes progress during a chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

27. Pursue Down

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To follow until someone or something is reached or stopped.

Best Used For: Narrative descriptions of determined pursuit.

Example: The riders pursued the fugitives down the valley.

Nuance: Less idiomatic as a standalone replacement than hunt down or track down.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

28. Hunt Down

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To search persistently until someone or something is found.

Best Used For: Suspects, criminals, information, or difficult-to-find items.

Example: Investigators worked to hunt down the source of the leak.

Nuance: Stronger than search for and often suggests determination.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

29. Track Down

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To locate someone or something after searching or following clues.

Best Used For: People, documents, sources, and objects.

Example: She finally tracked down the original photograph.

Nuance: Focuses on successfully locating the target.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

30. Run Down

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: In one sense, to pursue and locate someone or something.

Best Used For: Finding information or locating a person.

Example: The journalist ran down several promising leads.

Nuance: Highly context-dependent; run down has several unrelated meanings.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

31. Search For

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To attempt to find something.

Best Used For: Objects, people, information, and answers.

Example: They searched for the missing keys.

Nuance: Searching does not necessarily involve pursuing a moving target.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

32. Look For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To try to find someone or something.

Best Used For: Everyday conversation.

Example: I’m looking for a better job.

Nuance: More neutral and casual than chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

33. Seek Out

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To deliberately search for and find someone or something.

Best Used For: Experts, opportunities, experiences, and information.

Example: She sought out experienced mentors.

Nuance: Suggests deliberate searching rather than rapid pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

34. Quest For

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To search determinedly for something important.

Best Used For: Literary, intellectual, or ambitious pursuits.

Example: Scientists continue to quest for deeper answers about the universe.

Nuance: More literary and elevated than chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

35. Strive For

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To make a determined effort to achieve something.

Best Used For: Excellence, improvement, success, or goals.

Example: The organization strives for greater efficiency.

Nuance: Emphasizes effort rather than pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

36. Aim For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To make something your intended goal.

Best Used For: Targets, results, grades, and achievements.

Example: She is aiming for a promotion this year.

Nuance: Focuses on the objective rather than the process of chasing it.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

37. Work Toward

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To make gradual progress toward achieving something.

Best Used For: Long-term goals.

Example: They are working toward financial independence.

Nuance: Calmer and more methodical than chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

38. Reach For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To attempt to attain something desirable.

Best Used For: Aspirations and figurative goals.

Example: She encouraged her students to reach for greater opportunities.

Nuance: Often optimistic and figurative.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

39. Aspire To

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To strongly desire and work toward achieving something.

Best Used For: Careers, achievements, positions, and ideals.

Example: He aspires to become an architect.

Nuance: Focuses on ambition rather than active pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

40. Endeavor To Obtain

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To make a serious effort to acquire something.

Best Used For: Formal or professional writing.

Example: The organization endeavored to obtain additional funding.

Nuance: Considerably more formal than chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

41. Try For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To attempt to achieve or obtain something.

Best Used For: Positions, awards, records, or opportunities.

Example: She decided to try for the scholarship.

Nuance: Less intense and persistent than chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

42. Compete For

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To attempt to win something against other people.

Best Used For: Prizes, positions, contracts, and championships.

Example: Five companies are competing for the contract.

Nuance: Adds competition, which chase does not necessarily imply.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

43. Vie For

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To compete eagerly for something.

Best Used For: Awards, positions, recognition, and advantages.

Example: Several candidates are vying for the position.

Nuance: More formal than compete for and specifically implies rivals.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

44. Contend For

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To compete seriously for a prize, title, or position.

Best Used For: Sports and competitive achievements.

Example: Three teams are contending for the championship.

Nuance: Indicates serious competitive pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

45. Bid For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To attempt to obtain or achieve something, often competitively.

Best Used For: Contracts, ownership, positions, or recognition.

Example: The company is bidding for a major government contract.

Nuance: Usually involves a formal or competitive process.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

46. Campaign For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To work actively and publicly toward a particular outcome.

Best Used For: Causes, reforms, offices, or public objectives.

Example: Residents campaigned for safer streets.

Nuance: Involves organized advocacy rather than simple pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

47. Press For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To actively demand or seek a particular result.

Best Used For: Changes, decisions, answers, or reforms.

Example: Employees pressed for clearer workplace policies.

Nuance: Adds pressure or insistence.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

48. Push For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To actively promote or try to achieve something.

Best Used For: Changes, agreements, reforms, and outcomes.

Example: The committee pushed for a quicker resolution.

Nuance: Emphasizes active effort and advocacy.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

49. Pursue a Goal

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To actively work toward a desired result.

Best Used For: Personal, educational, professional, or financial objectives.

Example: She continued to pursue her goal despite several setbacks.

Nuance: A precise alternative when chase is figurative.

Synonym Strength: Very Close

50. Seek After

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To desire or attempt to obtain something.

Best Used For: Literary, formal, or older-fashioned contexts.

Example: Some people spend years seeking after recognition.

Nuance: Less common in modern everyday American English than seek.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

51. Scramble For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To compete hurriedly or desperately to obtain something.

Best Used For: Scarce resources, opportunities, tickets, or positions.

Example: Shoppers scrambled for the limited supply.

Nuance: Adds urgency, competition, and disorder.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

52. Clamor For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To demand something loudly or insistently.

Best Used For: Public demand, attention, products, or change.

Example: Fans clamored for additional tickets.

Nuance: Describes vocal demand rather than literal pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Related, Not Exact

53. Angle For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To subtly maneuver in order to obtain something.

Best Used For: Promotions, invitations, praise, or advantages.

Example: He seemed to be angling for a leadership position.

Nuance: Often implies indirect or strategic pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

54. Fish For

Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

Meaning: To indirectly seek information, praise, or a reaction.

Best Used For: Compliments, information, or responses.

Example: She wasn’t asking innocently; she was fishing for compliments.

Nuance: Figurative and often mildly critical.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

55. Court

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To actively seek someone’s favor, support, business, or affection.

Best Used For: Customers, investors, voters, publicity, or romance.

Example: The startup is courting new investors.

Nuance: Suggests deliberate attempts to attract rather than physically pursue.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

56. Woo

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To seek someone’s affection, approval, or support.

Best Used For: Romance, customers, investors, and supporters.

Example: The company is trying to woo younger customers.

Nuance: Focuses on winning someone over.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

57. Solicit

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To formally ask for or seek something.

Best Used For: Donations, feedback, business, or support.

Example: The charity solicited donations from local businesses.

Nuance: More formal and specific than chase.

Synonym Strength: Contextual

58. Crave

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To strongly desire something.

Best Used For: Attention, food, affection, recognition, or experiences.

Example: He craved recognition for his work.

Nuance: Describes desire, not the action of pursuing what is desired.

Synonym Strength: Related, Not Exact

59. Covet

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To strongly desire something, especially something possessed by another person.

Best Used For: Status, possessions, positions, or advantages.

Example: Several clubs coveted the talented young player.

Nuance: Focuses on desire and can carry a negative connotation.

Synonym Strength: Related, Not Exact

60. Yearn For

Part of Speech: Verb Phrase

Meaning: To feel a deep and persistent desire for something.

Best Used For: Emotional or literary descriptions of longing.

Example: She yearned for a quieter life.

Nuance: Expresses longing rather than active pursuit.

Synonym Strength: Related, Not Exact

Closest, Contextual, and Related Alternatives

Not every word above can directly replace chase. The distinction becomes clearer when the alternatives are classified by relationship.

Synonyms for Chase by Context

Physical Pursuit

For physically following something in an attempt to catch it, useful choices include:

Pursue, run after, go after, race after, sprint after, dash after, rush after, charge after, give chase

The police chased the suspect.

Natural replacements include:

The police pursued the suspect.

The officer gave chase.

The officer ran after the suspect.

Following or Tracking

When chase involves locating or monitoring someone, consider:

Track, trail, tail, shadow, trace, stalk

These alternatives differ substantially in connotation. Track is neutral, while stalk may describe predatory movement or serious unwanted behavior.

Goals and Ambitions

When someone is “chasing a dream,” better alternatives can include:

Pursue, seek, strive for, aim for, work toward, aspire to, reach for

He is chasing success.

More formal:

He is pursuing success.

More methodical:

He is working toward success.

More aspirational:

He aspires to achieve greater success.

Competitive Pursuit

For prizes, titles, positions, and opportunities, consider:

Compete for, vie for, contend for, bid for, scramble for

These alternatives add the idea of competition, so they should not replace chase when no competitors are involved.

Synonyms for Chase by Strength or Intensity

The intensity of these alternatives depends on context, but a useful general progression is:

Milder: follow, look for, seek, aim for, work toward

Moderate: go after, pursue, track, trail, strive for

Stronger: race after, sprint after, hunt down, hound, charge after, pursue relentlessly

A writer describing a casual objective might use seek, while a dramatic pursuit may require hunt down or race after.

Formal and Informal Alternatives

Formal or Professional

• Pursue
• Seek
• Solicit
• Endeavor to obtain
• Aspire to
• Contend for
• Vie for

Neutral or Everyday

• Follow
• Track
• Search for
• Look for
• Work toward
• Aim for
• Compete for

Informal or Conversational

• Go after
• Run after
• Try for
• Push for
• Angle for
• Fish for

Literary or Dramatic

• Quest for
• Seek after
• Yearn for
• Pursue relentlessly
• Hunt down

Register matters. In a business report, “pursuing new opportunities” normally sounds more natural than “chasing new opportunities,” although the latter is perfectly understandable.

Chase vs Similar Words

Chase vs Pursue

Both words can describe following a person or working toward a goal.

Chase often sounds more immediate, energetic, or informal:

The dog chased the rabbit.

Pursue can describe the same physical action but is especially natural for long-term objectives:

She pursued a career in engineering.

For formal writing about goals, pursue is usually the more natural choice.

Chase vs Follow

Follow means to move behind someone or something. Chase normally adds an intention to catch or reach the target.

The car followed us.

This does not necessarily mean it was trying to catch us.

The car chased us.

This strongly suggests active pursuit.

Chase vs Track

Track means to determine or monitor the movement or location of something.

You can track an animal without physically chasing it.

Scientists tracked the wolf using a GPS collar.

Therefore, track is a contextual alternative rather than an exact synonym.

Chase vs Hunt

Hunt emphasizes searching for a target. Chase emphasizes pursuing it.

A hunter may hunt for an animal before seeing it and chase it after it begins moving away.

The distinction is particularly useful when describing a sequence of actions.

Chase vs Seek

Seek generally means trying to find or obtain something.

She seeks professional advice.

Using chases professional advice would sound unnatural because there is no strong sense of pursuit.

Seek works especially well for abstract targets such as knowledge, assistance, approval, and opportunities.

Chase vs Stalk

These words should not be casually treated as interchangeable.

Chase can be harmless or playful:

The children chased each other around the playground.

Stalk implies stealthy pursuit and, when referring to unwanted following of a person, has a much more serious negative meaning.

Words Related to Chase That Are Not Exact Synonyms

Several words are semantically connected to chase but should not be presented as universally interchangeable synonyms.

Capture means successfully taking control of someone or something. A chase can end in capture, but chasing does not guarantee capture.

Catch describes reaching or seizing the target. It is often the objective of a chase rather than the chase itself.

Escape describes getting away from pursuit, making it conceptually related but opposite in direction.

Flee means to run away from danger or pursuit. The person fleeing is typically the one being chased.

Crave describes strong desire. Someone can chase something they crave, but the actions are different.

Search involves looking for something. A chase usually requires a known or perceived target being pursued.

Approach means moving nearer. It lacks the pursuit implied by chase.

Attack means using force against a target. Chasing can precede an attack, but the actions are not synonymous.

Common Collocations With Chase

Natural combinations with chase include:

• chase a dream
• chase a goal
• chase success
• chase money
• chase fame
• chase opportunities
• chase a suspect
• chase a thief
• chase a vehicle
• chase a ball
• chase someone away
• chase after someone
• high-speed chase
• police chase
• car chase
• wild-goose chase
• give chase
• thrill of the chase

Some collocations are strongly idiomatic. A wild-goose chase, for example, means a difficult or pointless search rather than literally chasing an animal.

Antonyms of Chase

The opposite of chase depends on which meaning is intended.

Flee

To run away from someone or something.

The suspect fled from the officers.

The pursued person flees while the pursuer chases.

Escape

To get away from pursuit or confinement.

The rabbit escaped into the bushes.

Escape represents a possible outcome from the target’s perspective.

Evade

To avoid being caught or found.

The driver attempted to evade police.

This is particularly useful as an opposite role within a pursuit.

Avoid

To deliberately stay away from something.

She avoided unnecessary attention.

Instead of pursuing something, a person may avoid it.

Abandon

To stop pursuing a goal, plan, or effort.

They abandoned their attempt to reach the summit.

For figurative chasing, abandon can express stopping the pursuit entirely.

Retreat

To move away from a position or situation.

The troops retreated from the area.

It contrasts with advancing toward or pursuing a target.

How to Choose the Right Synonym for Chase

The best alternative depends first on what is being chased.

For a person or moving target, use words such as pursue, follow, run after, race after, or track.

The dog chased the cat.
The dog ran after the cat.

For a career or ambition, pursue, strive for, work toward, and aspire to are usually more precise.

She is chasing her career goals.
She is pursuing her career goals.

For something you are trying to locate, choose search for, seek out, track down, or hunt down.

We chased down the missing records.
We tracked down the missing records.

For a competitive objective, consider vie for, contend for, compete for, or bid for.

Four teams are chasing the title.
Four teams are competing for the title.

For formal writing, pursue is often the most versatile replacement. For casual conversation, go after frequently sounds more natural.

Common Mistakes When Using Chase Synonyms

One common mistake is treating follow as identical to chase. Following does not necessarily involve trying to catch someone.

Another is replacing chase with hunt in every situation. You can hunt for lost keys, but saying you “chased the keys” would normally make little sense.

Be equally careful with stalk. Its meaning is substantially more specific and potentially serious than ordinary chasing.

Writers should also distinguish desire from action. Crave, covet, and yearn for describe wanting something, whereas chase normally describes actively pursuing it.

Finally, consider grammatical structure. You pursue a goal, strive for a goal, aspire to achieve a goal, and go after a goal. Similar meanings do not guarantee identical sentence patterns.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Another Word for Chase?

Pursue is one of the closest general synonyms for chase. Other alternatives include follow, run after, go after, track, hunt, and seek, depending on context.

What Is the Closest Synonym for Chase?

For the general idea of actively going after someone or something, pursue is among the closest synonyms. For literal everyday movement, run after is particularly close.

What Is a Formal Synonym for Chase?

Pursue is usually the best formal alternative. For example, “chase new business opportunities” can become “pursue new business opportunities.”

What Is an Informal Synonym for Chase?

Go after is a common conversational alternative.

He’s going after the job he really wants.

It can describe both literal and figurative pursuit.

What Is a Stronger Word for Chase?

Depending on the situation, hunt down, pursue relentlessly, hound, charge after, or sprint after can express greater intensity. Each adds a different kind of force, persistence, or speed.

What Is a Synonym for Chasing a Dream?

Good alternatives include pursuing a dream, working toward a dream, striving for a goal, following an ambition, and aspiring to achieve something.

Are Follow and Chase Synonyms?

They overlap but are not exact synonyms. Follow means moving behind someone, while chase usually implies trying to catch, reach, or overtake them.

Are Hunt and Chase the Same?

No. Hunt generally emphasizes searching for a target, while chase emphasizes pursuing a target. Hunting can involve chasing, but the two actions are not identical.

What Is the Opposite of Chase?

For physical pursuit, useful opposites include flee, escape, evade, and retreat. For chasing a goal, abandon or give up may provide the appropriate contrast.

What Is the Noun Form of Chase?

Chase itself functions as a noun:

The chase lasted twenty minutes.

Chaser refers to someone or something that chases.

Conclusion

The most useful synonyms for chase depend on what kind of pursuit the sentence describes. Pursue is one of the strongest general replacements and works especially well in formal writing, while run after and go after suit everyday physical or figurative pursuit. Track, trail, tail, and shadow focus more on following, whereas seek, strive for, work toward, and aspire to better express the pursuit of goals or opportunities.

More intense alternatives such as hunt down, hound, and charge after should be reserved for contexts that justify their stronger connotations. Likewise, words such as crave and yearn for express desire rather than actual pursuit. Choosing among these alternatives requires considering movement, intention, intensity, formality, and whether the target is literal or figurative.