on the hook for
idiom
US, informal
: owing money for (something) : responsible for (something)
He's still on the hook for the cost of the repairs.
Examples of on the hook for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chicago taxpayers are on the hook for those legacy payments.
—
John Cullerton, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
The company’s efforts to build out AI data centers have firmly pushed the company into a negative cash flow, leaving it on the hook for many billions of dollars in the coming years.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
Harris County leaders worry a new law could leave them on the hook for higher costs by allowing constables to negotiate patrol contracts with neighborhood associations without approval.
—John Lomax V, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026
That rule was ultimately what sunk Two Roads’ project, and has left the developer on the hook for millions in repairs.
—Catherine Odom
january 29, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on the hook for
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John Cullerton, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
The company’s efforts to build out AI data centers have firmly pushed the company into a negative cash flow, leaving it on the hook for many billions of dollars in the coming years.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
Harris County leaders worry a new law could leave them on the hook for higher costs by allowing constables to negotiate patrol contracts with neighborhood associations without approval.
—John Lomax V, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026
That rule was ultimately what sunk Two Roads’ project, and has left the developer on the hook for millions in repairs.
—Catherine Odom
january 29, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on the hook for
Cite this Entry
“On the hook for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20hook%20for. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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