hookup

1 of 2

noun

hook·​up ˈhu̇k-ˌəp 

1

: a state of cooperation or alliance

2

: an assemblage (as of circuits) used for a specific purpose (such as radio transmission)

also : the plan of such an assemblage

3

: an arrangement of mechanical parts

also : connection

a campsite with electric, water, and sewer hookups

4

: an act or an instance of hooking up

especially : a casual sexual encounter

hook up

2 of 2

verb

hooked up; hooking up; hooks up

intransitive verb

1

: to become associated especially in a working or social relationship

The quartet hooked up in 1990 with Reggie Andrews, a high school music teacher who taught the naive group the nuts and bolts of album making and the record industry.

—Lorraine Ali

… achieve your next fantasy camp experience in skiing. Do so by hooking up with Olympic medalist Christin Cooper and her husband Mark Tache, a former U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Pro Tour racer.

—Skiing

Judy Ratner was my first best friend. We hooked up in second grade, soon after my family had moved down the block from her house, in a New Jersey suburb.

—Marialisa Calta

2

informal : to have a casual sexual encounter

… on Covert Affairs, Christopher Gorham plays a blind CIA tech operative who hooks up with lovely girls …

—Libby Gelman-Waxner

transitive verb

: connect

hooked up the trailer

hook up a hose to the faucet

Intrigued, the researchers hooked up an infrared video camera and let it roll overnight.

—Henry Fountain

Synonyms

Noun

• affiliation
• alliance
• association
• collaboration
• confederation
• connection
• cooperation
• liaison
• linkup
• partnership
• relation
• relationship
• tie-up
• union

Verb

• associate
• chum
• company
• consociate
• consort
• fraternize
• hang (around or out)
• hobnob
• mess around
• pal (around)
• run
• sort
• travel

Examples of hookup in a Sentence

Noun

The interview will be broadcast through a satellite hookup.

The cabin has electric and water hookups.

Verb

former classmates who hooked up and started a business together

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And just like that, a few lines tucked away in a fat transportation bill forbids municipalities (like Surfside) from stopping certain septic tank-to-sewer hookups (like Indian Creek). —Pat Beall, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 June 2025

Both bathrooms had been renovated, and the unit had washer-dryer hookups (though no laundry room), a big open kitchen, and large windows. —Alena Cerro, New York Times, 19 June 2025

Verb

The pair even hooked up a pregame tailgate just before the CU-CSU football game in FoCo last September to catch up and swap notes. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 June 2025

White also noted that no new infrastructure is currently being built for annexation, and residents won’t have to hook up to the Ukiah Valley Water Authority sewer or water if they aren’t already required to. —Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 21 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1904, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for hookup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup
• pickup

Kids Definition

hookup

noun

hook·​up ˈhu̇k-ˌəp 

1

: connection sense 2, alliance

2

a

: an arrangement (as of circuits) used for a specific purpose (as in radio)

b

: the diagram of such an arrangement

3

: an arrangement of mechanical parts