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
Devon Toews was called for a hooking penalty, giving Minnesota 63 seconds of 4-on-3 power-play time.
—
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
Mason McTavish’s hooking minor proved costly as the Oilers scored just four seconds into the penalty.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Apr. 2026
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
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
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
Mason McTavish’s hooking minor proved costly as the Oilers scored just four seconds into the penalty.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooking
Verb
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Ludi Lin has spent the better part of a decade punching, kicking and fire-bending his way through some of Hollywood’s biggest action franchises.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 May 2026
-
This helps so that people aren’t bending.—
Amy Kunst,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Parents will appreciate that each floor has connecting room options.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
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Yastrzemski, one of Atlanta’s key offseason acquisitions, had gone 116 at-bats in 38-plus games before connecting on his first long ball.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Avedian said that the issue is not just about people stealing identities or social security numbers; the danger to the consumer is much greater.—
Amy Corral,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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At the moment, however, AI is merely stealing from us all.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Other complaints had to do with the Puerto Rican rap star grabbing his crotch, and with two dancers who allegedly grabbed each other's breasts (which, if true, is a wild dance move).—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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Particularly since the savings made in service-staff costs and brick-and-mortar bar space, not to mention the affordability of buying booze here in China's RMB currency, aren't that far off grabbing a can or bottle from a nearby 24-hour convenience store.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Wilson is zoned for the 9th District, which extends across most of the state’s southern border before curving up to encompass the largely white and affluent Nashville suburbs.—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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Wilson is zoned for the 9th District, which extends across most of the state’s southern border before curving up to encompass the largely white and affluent Nashville suburbs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Flow between arching and rounding your back to improve spinal mobility.—
Christopher Bergland,
Verywell Health,
11 May 2026
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The gracefully arching evergreen foliage is edged in golden yellow, perfect for brightening shady gardens or porch pots year-round.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
Verb
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The deployment marks one of the service’s latest steps toward integrating unmanned systems into everyday missions.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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The trick is integrating them during the remodel, rather than bolting them on after a fall.—
Amy Kunst,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Many younger adults describe the swiping experience as passive, repetitive and emotionally draining — a lot of effort with very little payoff in real chemistry or meaningful matches.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
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Imagine swiping a card at a corner station, unlocking a bicycle, riding to the store or your office or the park or the beach and locking the bike at another station.—
Harry Bubbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooking. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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