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
The closest thing in effort required is hooking the robot when it’s done, emptying out its filter basket and putting it back on the charger.
—
Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
In the video, Jessie, who is wearing a blue bikini, puts one foot on her husband's thigh and the other on his shoulder, hooking it around his neck, and stands up steadily while flashing her arm muscles at the camera.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
While hooking paying customers remains a challenge for most of the AI industry, Grok stands out as a particularly terrible performer.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026
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
Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
In the video, Jessie, who is wearing a blue bikini, puts one foot on her husband's thigh and the other on his shoulder, hooking it around his neck, and stands up steadily while flashing her arm muscles at the camera.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
While hooking paying customers remains a challenge for most of the AI industry, Grok stands out as a particularly terrible performer.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooking
Verb
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The genre-bending movie stars Jessica Rothe as a mother desperate to get her baby boy back after he is taken.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
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The political horseshoe is bending around businesses benefitting from the AI boom.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Celebrities in each host city will serve as these global ambassadors, connecting with fans and promoting local tourism and culture.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
-
His concept of the collective unconscious, a universal element of the human mind connecting past and present, was fundamental to her understanding of images and the interconnected nature of ancient archetypes.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Leto, who has done more than a few of these kinds of villainous cartoon characters, brings some scene-stealing sly humor and sharp line readings to his despicable Skeletor with a voice that sounds like a cross between James Earl Jones and Sir Ian McKellen.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
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Federal prosecutors charged him with 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and stealing money from political donors.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The best know how to play through grabbing or shoving of various degrees.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Wembanyama finished Game 6 with 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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On the other side of the 15th floor is the large indoor pool that sits beneath a curving glass ceiling that brings in ample sunlight.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Akira Back is located inside The Henderson, the curving tower in Central Hong Kong designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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With upright, arching branches, the shrub matures at 8 feet.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
27 May 2026
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The grounds include rolling lawns, mature gardens, and a charming stone bridge arching over a branch of the Hackensack River.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The more such institutions can resist integrating AI tools into every aspect of their operations, and instead incentivize human intellectual engagement even at the expense of efficiency, the better as far as patience is concerned.—
Christian B. Miller,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
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The distinction Allen draws — between hiding nutrition and integrating it — is the heart of the trend.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Verb
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A lot else can happen when a man is going 978 games in a row without swiping any bases.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The outer display is a fluid experience, from tapping the lower-right corner of the screen to access notifications to swiping to open panels like my calendar, local weather, games, and apps.—
Kimberly Gedeon,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooking. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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