hooking up

verb

present participle of hook up
as in traveling
to come or be together as friends former classmates who hooked up and started a business together

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hooking up The broader argument for the Sky-ITV deal is that this is not consolidation for its own sake, but a necessary response to a market utterly transformed by platforms that barely existed the last time British broadcasters discussed hooking up. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 As the arrows on the chart indicate, the red line (sellers) is hooking down and the green line (buyers) is hooking up. — Nishant Pant, CNBC, 7 July 2026 The term first popped up during the June 21 episode of Love Island USA, when Kenzie Annis and Corbin Mims were shown hooking up in bed. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 29 June 2026 To make entertaining more fun, plug your speaker or outdoor TV into an electrical outlet, or make a frozen margarita after hooking up your blender. — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 28 June 2026 There were endless questions to be answered — namely, how Amanda and West could betray Ciara Miller and Kyle Cooke by hooking up behind their backs … and lying to everyone about it. — Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026 Her thoughts on the idea of Jackie hooking up with the English lawyer who’s representing her in a big new case? — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 June 2026 The young whippersnappers in their nice Manhattan apartments see the COVID-19 pandemic as simply one more roadblock between them and hooking up. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 2 June 2026 Waddingham is less enthused about the idea of Ted (played by Sudeikis) and Rebecca hooking up, despite some of the fan base fantasizing about the prospect. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 30 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooking up
  1. traveling
  2. associating
  3. messing around
  4. connecting
  5. running
  6. mixing
  7. joining
  8. collaborating
Verb
  • The investigation is part of a broader crackdown on what’s known as birth tourism, the practice of traveling to another country, so a child is born there.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2026
  • New attractions include the Hip Hop ride, a traveling grand carousel with horses valued over $30,000 each and the first-ever First Peoples’ Art Showcase.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of traveling
Verb
  • The rest of the party is mostly silent, forever associating itself with a movement that’s intent on destroying the centrist parts of the Democratic Party.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, the connection between hair shedding and ferritin is well documented, with studies associating low ferritin levels with telogen effluvium, a form of temporary hair loss.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 15 July 2026
Definition of associating
Verb
  • That sounds way better than messing around with a complex spider web of pole segments, elastic cords, sleeves and clips.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 July 2026
  • Kylian liked messing around, having a laugh and telling jokes — just like the rest of us.
    — Tom Williams, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of messing around
Verb
  • The next section to the north, connecting through South Miami to the edge of Coral Gables, is virtually finished and set to officially open next month — though construction fencing is gone and people are already using it.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • Chevron is exploring a pipeline connecting Iraq’s oil patch with the Mediterranean Sea via Syria.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of connecting
Verb
  • Much of the generation that keeps the lights on today is running years past the service life it was built for.
    — Anna Demeo, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • After the 19-year-old soccer star helped lead the Spanish men’s national team to victory over Argentina on Sunday, July 19, his little brother, Keyne, could be seen running straight into his arms and screaming with joy over the win.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Definition of running
Verb
  • The company’s tools allow filmmakers to build an AI model using production dailies to help enhance post-production work such as mixing, relighting shots and adding visual effects, forgoing typical visual generative efforts.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • Yankee Stadium in the Bronx keeps expanding its vendor lineup, mixing classic New York fare with viral novelty items.
    — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
Definition of mixing
Verb
  • The South African government has backed the Amazon deal, with Communications Minister Solly Malatsi joining Amazon and Herotel representatives to announce the agreement.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • New Zealand will consider joining, Prime Minister Christopher ‌Luxon said on Thursday.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 16 July 2026
Definition of joining
Verb
  • The platform also has a core strategic focus on partnerships, actively collaborating with established creators, independent producers and library holders.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 22 July 2026
  • In addition to collaborating on the Artists Living With Cancer Grant, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation also offers $5,000 medical emergency grants for artists with medical or dental emergencies.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 16 July 2026
Definition of collaborating

Browse Nearby Words

hooking
hooking up
hooking up (with)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hooking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooking%20up. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All