hook 1 of 2

noun

ˈhu̇k How to pronounce hook (audio)
Definition of hooknext
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument delivered a hard right hook that struck his opponent in the eye

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hook

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to bend
to cause to turn away from a straight line the pitcher hooked the ball, and the batter missed

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2
as in to connect
to put or bring together so as to form a new and longer whole hooked up three short chains together to make a longer necklace

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3
as in to steal
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep the monkey hooked four bananas from the basket and scampered away to enjoy them

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4
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly I hooked the biggest fish of the day, and then released it

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5
as in to curve
to turn away from a straight line or course hang the bird feeder on a branch that hooks upward

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hook
Noun
Identify the hook, character, format, pacing and call to action. — Zoe Huang, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Dow stood with three tattooed and shirtless jumpers, weaving white paracord through hooks in the canvas and cinching it tight. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
The states argued that the company deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to hook children into using its apps, misled the public about the harm and improperly collected data from children under 13. — Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 Now Big Social Media is facing its Big Tobacco moment in court as four states—California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey—try to prove that Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to keep young users hooked. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hook
  1. blow
  2. bend
  3. connect
  4. steal
  5. grab
  6. curve
  7. slap
  8. arch
Noun
  • There have been plenty of in-game rotations, promising combinations, fluidity and creativity, but without the delivery of a final hammer blow.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The residents had sustained another blow when my friend, John Ahern, was a passenger on Pan Am Flight 103 that exploded on December 21, 1988 from a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Genre-bending singer-songwriter Rosalía is a two-time Grammy winner, eleven-time Latin Grammy winner and four-time MTV Video Music Award winner.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Because a screen will bend thousands of times over the life of the smartphone, a visible crease often forms along the fold line.
    — Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of bend
Verb
  • That gave Michigan one more shot, and Underwood made this one count, connecting with JJ Buchanan for a game-winning 47-yard touchdown to avert disaster in Kyle Whittingham’s debut as Wolverines coach.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The next step will connect microscopic damage with the properties that matter most for fusion magnets.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of connect
Verb
  • Last year, when Ohio State hosted Texas, the two QBs were the headliners, but their performances didn’t live up to the hype, as each team’s defense stole the show.
    — Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But Native Americans experienced slavery as stealing of relatives, as a community loss, and it was always intermingled with the stealing of their land and disregard for their sovereignty.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • Running back If you’re not used to seeing the running back position here, grab a ticket and join the line.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Just like the rest of us that day, most of the dead were just going about such ordinary tasks as showing up for work, grabbing a cup of coffee and traveling on a commercial jetliner, or just trying to lend a hand to people in trouble.
    — Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • The uppers dipped low at the sides, while the pump’s heel curved inward before widening slightly at its base.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The foreground object can warp the fabric of spacetime in such a way that the light's path is curved.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of curve
Noun
  • Her Oscars triumph was also the night of the notorious Will Smith-Chris Rock on-stage slap, which overshadowed coverage.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Broadwick’s pink front door spits you out slap-bang in the middle of it all like a tongue.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Bridal wreath spirea develops a dense, arching shape that provides an ideal home for your yard’s pollinators and birds.
    — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The footage shows a coronal loop arcade — a series of arching loops of hot plasma shaped by the sun's magnetic field — extending high above the solar limb, or apparent edge of the sun.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of arch

Phrases Containing hook

Browse Nearby Words

hoo-has
hook
hooked
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Cite this Entry

“Hook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hook. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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