jump through hoops
idiom
informal
: to do a complicated or annoying series of things in order to get or achieve something
We had to jump through a lot of hoops to get a loan from the bank.
It shouldn't be necessary to jump through hoops to get a computer to work properly.
Examples of jump through hoops in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The situation has created a ripple effect, forcing New York lawmakers to jump through hoops to distance themselves from ICE.
—
Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Let it be said, though, that ruling this fairyland—where sweets jump through hoops, perky as peppermint, or swirl around, rich as Spanish chocolate—requires not just a decorous carriage and a cordial disposition but true ballerina grit.
—Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 9 Dec. 2025
Epic launched its own Epic Games Store on iOS and Android in the region last year, with the latter also available in the US, but American iPhone users have had to jump through hoops to play the game on their devices.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
But the reality is that most users won’t jump through hoops to download an app.
—Lubo Smid, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jump through hoops
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Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Let it be said, though, that ruling this fairyland—where sweets jump through hoops, perky as peppermint, or swirl around, rich as Spanish chocolate—requires not just a decorous carriage and a cordial disposition but true ballerina grit.
—Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 9 Dec. 2025
Epic launched its own Epic Games Store on iOS and Android in the region last year, with the latter also available in the US, but American iPhone users have had to jump through hoops to play the game on their devices.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
But the reality is that most users won’t jump through hoops to download an app.
—Lubo Smid, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jump through hoops
Cite this Entry
“Jump through hoops.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jump%20through%20hoops. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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