hoop

noun, often attributive

\ ˈhüp also ˈhu̇p

Definition of hoop

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a circular strip used especially for holding together the staves of containers or as a plaything

2a : a circular figure or object : ring

b : the rim of a basketball goal broadly : the entire goal

3 : a circle or series of circles of flexible material used to expand a woman's skirt

4 : basketball —usually used in plural

hoop

verb

hooped; hooping; hoops

Definition of hoop (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to bind or fasten with or as if with a hoop

Other Words from hoop Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about hoop

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Synonyms for hoop

Synonyms: Noun

band, circle, eye, loop, ring, round

Examples of hoop in a Sentence

Noun

made Christmas garlands from hoops of red and green construction paper

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Off comes his black T-shirt, and now Costley is under the hoop in a gray, sleeveless undershirt, and sunglasses. — Pat Stoetzer, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Basketball: Westminster star Herman Costley ‘was always the best player’," 13 July 2019 Some hoops executives have griped that the NBA suffers from a bout of coastal elitism. — Sean Gregory, Time, "The NBA Is Officially Ridiculous," 12 July 2019 As a nod to the Rodarte styling, the bride wore baby’s breath hoops from 14 / Quatorze and worked with hairstylist Britt White to incorporate baby’s breath in her hair. — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, "“The Age of Innocence on Acid” Was the Design Directive For This Wedding at the National Arts Club," 12 July 2019 The hoop skirt with the wings of a demon was fluttering once again against the glass. — Silvina Ocampo, The New Yorker, "Skylight," 11 July 2019 Former Louisville hoops standout Sam Fuehring is headed to Europe to play professionally. — Gentry Estes, The Courier-Journal, "Morning Coffee: Sit back and enjoy Serena Williams as she makes another Wimbledon run," 10 July 2019 With the Blazers trailing 95-93 with 13 seconds left, Simons drove into the lane toward the hoop but suffered a grade 1 right ankle on the potential game-tying shot. — oregonlive.com, "Portland Trail Blazers fall to Utah Jazz, 97-93, in Las Vegas Summer League despite 35 from Anfernee Simons: Live updates recap," 9 July 2019 Celtics guard Max Strus missed a 3-pointer and Fall was there to slam the offensive board back in the hoop. — Jason Beede, orlandosentinel.com, "Tacko Fall grateful to hear fan support during NBA Summer League game," 8 July 2019 But what’s a better cure for deflation than pure hoops and hope in the future? — Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, "How you can watch the Warriors in Summer League," 3 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Last week: 3 Results: Lost at Oregon State 72-57 Next up: at USC (Thursday) Comment: What’s left for the Ducks after getting swept in the Civil War hoops series? — Jon Wilner, The Seattle Times, "Pac-12 power rankings: As regular season winds down, UW still the clear favorite," 19 Feb. 2019 Garrett said during a recent interview at Brett Ballard’s Washburn University hoops camp at Lee Arena in Topeka. — Gary Bedore, kansascity, "KU sophomore Garrett changes shooting form: 'I feel comfortable now'," 2 July 2018 The image of the Mamba, relentless and obsessive, fed the perception that he would be lost without the competitive outlet that hoops provided. — Lee Jenkins, SI.com, "Fantastic Voyage: Kobe Bryant Is Now an Entertainment Mogul with a Friendlier Mission," 12 July 2018 If the hooper cannot hoop through the full minute with the Hula-Hoop, try starting over again or try collecting data for only 30 seconds. — Science Buddies, Scientific American, "Swiveling Science: Applying Physics to Hula-Hooping," 11 July 2013 The locale was Staples Center, one of the grandest stages a basketball player can hoop on. — Patrick Brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Your call: Which Xavier University loss in NCAA Tournament was the worst? Vot in our poll. \," 19 Mar. 2018 When combined with his deadpan delivery and wry sense of humor, each obstacle to overcome or hoop to jump through takes on a life of its own. — Alexis Burling, SFChronicle.com, "‘I Will Be Complete,’ by Glen David Gold," 21 June 2018 At La Costa Glen, Joan still practices hooping with her original bamboo ring. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Carlsbad's 'Hula Girl' gives her spin on toy's history," 9 June 2018 Young broke out during the PK80 Invitational in front of the tournaments’ namesake, Nike chairman Phil Knight, and has played on the Nike hoops circuit since AAU. — Jarrel Harris, SI.com, "Trae Young, Marvin Bargley and Basketball's Next Sneaker Stars," 21 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hoop.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.