in hot pursuit
Right behind someone
In hot pursuit describes the act of chasing someone or something with urgency and determination, typically close behind.
The phrase originally applied to law enforcement officers actively chasing a suspect, where the "hot" suggests the trail is fresh and the chase immediate.
It has broadened to cover any energetic chase or eager quest: The paparazzi followed in hot pursuit of the celebrity's car.
The legal sense remains important, as officers in hot pursuit may cross jurisdictional boundaries that would otherwise limit their authority.
- apprehendSeize or understand
- raceCompetition of speed
- chaseRapid following of quarry
- car chaseHigh-speed vehicular pursuit
- sprintBrief maximum-speed effort
fugitive · hot on the trail · give chase · dash · capture · urgency · split second · acceleration · momentum · velocity · obsession · ambition · patrol · rapidity · suspect · yearning · aspiration · focus
in hot pursuithanging back
Staying reluctantly behind
lagging behind · unhurried · dawdling · taking one's time · meandering
in hot pursuiton the run
Actively avoiding capture
fleeing · escaping · running away · evading · being chased
in hot pursuitletting go
Releasing one's grasp
standing down · backing off · disengaging · turning back · giving up
pursuit, hotter, hottest, hotness, pursue, pursuer, pursuers, pursuits, pursued