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
By hooking a solo shot around the Pesky Pole, the lefty swinger finally hit his first dinger of the year off Boston southpaw Payton Tolle.
—
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Already, there’s been an uptick in shark sightings and encounters, with the beach closed recently in Newport Beach and a fisherman hooking and releasing a great white off Manhattan Beach Pier.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
But Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was called for hooking Byfield from behind on the play, setting up a penalty shot.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
One key to detecting bites and hooking cool-water crappies lies in understanding the way the fish feed.
—Cory Schmidt, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
For example, when Athena hits a step or an obstacle, the front flippers extend forward and upward, hooking onto the ledge before pulling up the rest of the robot and stabilizing it.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 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
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Already, there’s been an uptick in shark sightings and encounters, with the beach closed recently in Newport Beach and a fisherman hooking and releasing a great white off Manhattan Beach Pier.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
But Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was called for hooking Byfield from behind on the play, setting up a penalty shot.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
One key to detecting bites and hooking cool-water crappies lies in understanding the way the fish feed.
—Cory Schmidt, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
For example, when Athena hits a step or an obstacle, the front flippers extend forward and upward, hooking onto the ledge before pulling up the rest of the robot and stabilizing it.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooking
Verb
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Video from the area caught a person in gray sweatpants and a black hoodie bending over a cardboard box and appearing to pull out a small puppy.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Following the astronomical success of his genre-bending period film, Mendonça Filho’s inbox is filled to the brim with meeting requests and scripts.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The specific date wasn’t listed, but Andreski noted once construction starts, the first trains connecting the Medical District to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport should begin rolling by the end of 2029.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Kate Ackerman, director of the Women’s Health Sports and Performance Institute, leads the Alliance’s work connecting this research back to female athletes.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officials say the ring targeted vulnerable residents by forging documents, stealing personal information about the real owners and arranging the sales of the properties.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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There's a long way to go before the season gets here and stealing the spotlight on Thursday night during the draft doesn’t guarantee anything.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Jaguars used their first pick of the NFL draft to land the blocking tight end Friday night, grabbing him in the second round with the 56th selection.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Seahawks stayed put yet again at the end of the second round, grabbing TCU safety Bud Clark with the 64th pick.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There's no question about the iconic status of Tegallalang, the flawless and highly photogenic rice terraces curving around hillsides and irrigated by the subak system, which has UNESCO status.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Apr. 2026
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All communal areas can be reached by curving but steep paths.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With gracefully arching foliage, this evergreen fern is a staple of Southern porches.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
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The plant is a clump-forming fern with arching stems.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This approach reflects a strategic emphasis on integrating computing power into the fabric of the economy, from manufacturing and healthcare to transportation and scientific research.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
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Since then, Airbnb has aimed to add more hotel listings to its platform, in addition to integrating ride and excursion-booking services to turnaround its lagging stock, according to Wells Fargo.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a four-game span, the Philadelphia 76ers star received a technical foul for shoving Donte DiVincenzo, and flagrant fouls for dragging Mitchell Robinson to the floor and swiping Brunson in the head.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
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And who is swiping Fed Ex packages from all those lovely porches and patios?—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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