buttonhook
noun
but·ton·hook
ˈbə-tᵊn-ˌhu̇k 
1
: a hook for drawing small buttons through buttonholes
2
: an offensive play in football in which the pass receiver runs straight downfield and then abruptly cuts back toward the line of scrimmage
buttonhook
intransitive verb
Examples of buttonhook in a Sentence
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The route begins in Boerum Hill with a buttonhook into the historical affluence of Brooklyn Heights before doubling back through Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens.
—
Justin Beal, Harper’s Magazine , 14 Dec. 2022
The approach establishes the stakes: No access to legal abortions for a long time meant death for many women, who resorted to poking corset ribs, buttonhooks, hairpins and knitting needles through the cervix to disrupt unwanted pregnancies.
—Elizabeth Rusch, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2020
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Justin Beal, Harper’s Magazine , 14 Dec. 2022
The approach establishes the stakes: No access to legal abortions for a long time meant death for many women, who resorted to poking corset ribs, buttonhooks, hairpins and knitting needles through the cervix to disrupt unwanted pregnancies.
—Elizabeth Rusch, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Buttonhook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buttonhook. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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