1
as in bending
to cause to turn away from a straight line
the pitcher hooked the ball, and the batter missed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in connecting
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stealing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
I hooked the biggest fish of the day, and then released it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in curving
to turn away from a straight line or course
hang the bird feeder on a branch that hooks upward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hooking
If any one case is thrown out, Trump’s allies will just try again, hooking onto any conceivable excuse until both your will and your resources are depleted.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
The trial is a test case, known as a bellwether, tied to about 2,000 other pending lawsuits brought by parents and school districts arguing that social media giants should be considered manufacturers of defective products for hooking a generation of young people to social media feeds.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Greer was assessed a hooking minor, an interference major and a game misconduct.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Soto scored on Guerrero’s double in a four-run fourth, hooking an arm around catcher Dong Won Park with a head-first slide.
—Kristie Rieken, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
Then, after the B’s repeatedly turned it over in their zone, Lindholm wiped out the final 26 seconds of the PP with a hooking call that may have saved a goal as the puck was laying behind Swayman in the crease.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Then by hooking the alien up to a computer, which translates his thoughts into one-liners that, within half an hour, are adorable enough to be sitcom-worthy.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
The Spuds were handed a lifeline early in the second period as Sturgis went into the box for hooking.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
After being booked in the 58th minute for a body check near the halfway line on Ismaila Sarr, Krejci then played on in the 61st after a throw-in had been awarded against him, hooking the ball down the line.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
The trial is a test case, known as a bellwether, tied to about 2,000 other pending lawsuits brought by parents and school districts arguing that social media giants should be considered manufacturers of defective products for hooking a generation of young people to social media feeds.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
Greer was assessed a hooking minor, an interference major and a game misconduct.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Soto scored on Guerrero’s double in a four-run fourth, hooking an arm around catcher Dong Won Park with a head-first slide.
—Kristie Rieken, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
Then, after the B’s repeatedly turned it over in their zone, Lindholm wiped out the final 26 seconds of the PP with a hooking call that may have saved a goal as the puck was laying behind Swayman in the crease.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Then by hooking the alien up to a computer, which translates his thoughts into one-liners that, within half an hour, are adorable enough to be sitcom-worthy.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
The Spuds were handed a lifeline early in the second period as Sturgis went into the box for hooking.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
After being booked in the 58th minute for a body check near the halfway line on Ismaila Sarr, Krejci then played on in the 61st after a throw-in had been awarded against him, hooking the ball down the line.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooking
Verb
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Corridor 109 is also home to a tandem cocktail bar, Bar 109, which debuted in 2025 and serves genre-bending cocktails, plus bites such as Wagyu hot dogs.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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After the shooting, Heyward dropped the gun — accidentally shooting herself in the right foot while bending down to pick it up — then walked to the back of the car and removed the license plate, placed it inside, and sped off, deputies say.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Torrez had accused the company of allowing predators unfettered access to underage users and connecting them with victims, often leading to real-world abuse and human trafficking.—
Diana Novak Jones,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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During her tenure, the district worked on several major initiatives focusing on conservation, restoration and connecting visitors to the forest preserves, the release said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Moody was all alone on his way to an easy dunk in overtime after stealing the ball from Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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And in 2022, Xiang Haitao, admitted to stealing a trade secret from Monsanto.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots — going 6-for-6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half — on the way to 20 points.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Agents targeted grocery stores, churches, and construction sites, smashing car windows and pulling people from vehicles or grabbing them at a hardware store parking lot.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With the main entrance positioned above the building, visitors access the wellness center via a descending staircase and a gently curving ramp.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
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The changes will close much of the park, including the Greek Theater, Central Promenade, and South Plaza of Civic Center, where big festivals often set up stages and vendors line the curving sidewalks.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The permanent exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Nihonbashi Bridge, an arching wooden structure that once joined the five roads to Edo at the gate to the capital.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
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Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano was putting on a spectacular show Tuesday evening, with its latest eruptive episode producing arching bands of red lava higher than some skyscrapers.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By integrating Webb's infrared sensitivity with Hubble's long-standing visible-light record, scientists can construct a far more complete picture of planetary behavior than either telescope could achieve alone.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Colleges that help students master those capabilities — including by integrating AI education across all degrees and majors, not just STEM — are still exceptional investments that will pay dividends for decades.—
Jerry Balentine,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To do so, the PepsiCo unit wants to grab the attention of younger consumers on social and digital media, where interactive technology gives rise to scrolling, swiping and other short-attention span behaviors.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Last summer, after a year of attempting to get back on Hinge, followed by a year of swiping on other apps outside Match Group, Enfield deleted her dating apps altogether.—
Annie Joy Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooking. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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