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
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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
Guys hooking drives into the next county.
—
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 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
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
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooking
Verb
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In early 2021, anchors from large container ships hooked an underwater oil pipeline on the ocean floor some 5 miles off Huntington Beach’s coast, bending it like a straw.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
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Those who have been through major hurricanes may tell you of the surreal visual of watching their doors and windows bending to the pressure from the winds.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Construction of the 1,911-mile transcontinental railroad connecting California with the eastern half of the United States began in 1863, while the nation was engaged in a bloody civil war, and was completed six years later when its two legs were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah.—
Dan Walters,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
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Punchup acquired ticketing platform Tixologi to underpin its live commerce capabilities, and the podcast product sits on top of that foundation as the content layer connecting subscription audiences to live revenue.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The former lawyer was separately convicted in state and federal courts of stealing millions of dollars from his own clients.—
Michael Ruiz , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
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In an overheated, overcrowded Mallorca, three precarious women accidentally kill a tourist while stealing electricity, then drag two more women into the cover-up.—
Emiliano de Pablos,
Variety,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors have theorized that after Mackenzie sped up the car, Dominic and Davion could have tried to stop the crash by grabbing the wheel or gear shift.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
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Consider grabbing a set of packing cubes, which are great for packing for vacation and storing and organizing items at home.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Gowns and slippers come with blue trims and the curving serif font of The Twenty Two’s quietly cool branding.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
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Mutable clay offers a contrast to precise silver, in a composition that has the curving voids reminiscent of Joan Lurie and Henry Moore.—
Anthony Paletta,
Curbed,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Naegohyang equalized five minutes later when Choe Kum Ok headed in from a set piece, then grabbed the lead in the 67th after Kim Kyong Yong collected a high-arching clearance from a Suwon defender to nod home.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
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With gracefully arching foliage, daylilies add texture and movement to garden borders and pathways.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
Verb
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But integrating chatbots made for adults into toys for kids poses its own array of threats, Padilla told the Union-Tribune.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Fernandez Bibeau’s portfolio as parks commissioner, effective June 1, will include integrating green infrastructure into the city’s broader open space strategy and strengthening coordination across cabinets to advance the city’s climate goals.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Malukas appeared on his way to collect the cash, before Rosenqvist stunned the sellout crowd of 350,000 by swiping the win away from the Team Penske driver at the very last second.—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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The Valkyries took a 44-37 lead into halftime, with Clark swiping at Janelle Salaun after the buzzer when Salaun grabbed a rebound.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooking. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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