as in punches
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
delivered a hard right hook that struck his opponent in the eye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in bends
to cause to turn away from a straight line
the pitcher hooked the ball, and the batter missed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in connects
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 steals
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 grabs
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 curves
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of hooks
Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The tag team has led to the band’s best collection where super sharp hooks meet ugly, glorious crescendos and curious arrangements.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Pineiro's left eye was punished by Price's right hooks, but Pineiro cut Price's mouth in the fifth round and Price couldn't prevent blood spattering her chest, white shirt and shorts for the rest of the bout.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Before Hillbilly Elegy rocked the zeitgeist, hooks published a poetry collection called—wait for it—Appalachian Elegy.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Where their debut roars, jabbing with hooks, Two Wheels Move the Soul instead inverts the noise until the sound becomes pillowy and comforting.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Upon the news of Vance's next book, social media users spotted some significant parallels to works by another author, celebrated activist bell hooks.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
These hooks are sharp and have never let me down.
—Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
The AeroFit 2 is designed for a custom, non-invasive fit, featuring innovative four-level adjustable ear hooks that comfortably accommodate over 99% of ear shapes.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
The cat who reaches through the kennel bars and hooks a paw around your finger.
—Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Feb. 2026
Aussie newcomer Yerin Ha is the juggernaut's new leading lady—a strong yet soft pragmatist whose quiet charisma hooks Benedict, the ton, and, soon enough, audiences everywhere.
—InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026
Start with your transformation story that hooks from line one.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Unable to deal with Max any longer, Nathan asks Joe to send Max down and hooks the Jet Ski to the crane himself.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
This compact device hooks onto your keychain or purse, and in the event of an emergency, simply pull the plug to activate a blaring alarm and strobe light duo.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025
Install hooks either on the wall or over the back of the door to keep bags in check.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
In contrast to AirPods, these headphones feature a sleek design that hooks over the ear and can be adjusted to ensure an extra secure grip.
—PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
Noun
In the brief dust-up, the teens throw a series of wild hooks at each other with few of the punches actually making contact.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The tag team has led to the band’s best collection where super sharp hooks meet ugly, glorious crescendos and curious arrangements.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Pineiro's left eye was punished by Price's right hooks, but Pineiro cut Price's mouth in the fifth round and Price couldn't prevent blood spattering her chest, white shirt and shorts for the rest of the bout.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Before Hillbilly Elegy rocked the zeitgeist, hooks published a poetry collection called—wait for it—Appalachian Elegy.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Where their debut roars, jabbing with hooks, Two Wheels Move the Soul instead inverts the noise until the sound becomes pillowy and comforting.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Upon the news of Vance's next book, social media users spotted some significant parallels to works by another author, celebrated activist bell hooks.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
These hooks are sharp and have never let me down.
—Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
The AeroFit 2 is designed for a custom, non-invasive fit, featuring innovative four-level adjustable ear hooks that comfortably accommodate over 99% of ear shapes.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the plaintiff, questioned Mosseri on Wednesday about whether Instagram chooses profits over the health and safety of minors and whether Mosseri oversees an app that hooks younger users.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
The cat who reaches through the kennel bars and hooks a paw around your finger.
—Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Feb. 2026
Aussie newcomer Yerin Ha is the juggernaut's new leading lady—a strong yet soft pragmatist whose quiet charisma hooks Benedict, the ton, and, soon enough, audiences everywhere.
—InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026
Start with your transformation story that hooks from line one.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Unable to deal with Max any longer, Nathan asks Joe to send Max down and hooks the Jet Ski to the crane himself.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
This compact device hooks onto your keychain or purse, and in the event of an emergency, simply pull the plug to activate a blaring alarm and strobe light duo.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025
Install hooks either on the wall or over the back of the door to keep bags in check.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
In contrast to AirPods, these headphones feature a sleek design that hooks over the ear and can be adjusted to ensure an extra secure grip.
—PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooks
Noun
-
The operator takes another swing, but the man ducks, punches the operator, then knocks him down, raining punches on his head before a bystander separates the two.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The boxers, aged 40 and 42 respectively, threw hopeful knockout punches and barely jabbed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The design works by tracking how red, green, and blue light attenuate differently as the sensor bends.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In the footage the woman bends, loops her fingers around the laces, once, twice, grass stains on her knees.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That network connects large telescope dishes in California, Australia and Spain that cooperate to keep in touch with spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Flooding has also shut the Salang Pass, a high mountain pass in the Hindu Kush mountain range that connects Kabul to the country’s north, including the major cities of Kunduz and Mazar-e-Sharif.—
Abdul Qahar Afghan,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s before Morgan steals a necklace from a chintzy gift shop run by a Turkish gangster named Yusuf, who proceeds to kidnap the pair, intimidate them at gunpoint, and threaten their family, forcing them to perform an array of odd jobs to make up for the petty theft.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Nicky’s life is upended when his sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega) steals a necklace for their dying grandmother from a boutique with ties to a criminal organization.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This hearty dish grabs extra flavor from browning the pork chops very well in the skillet in order to produce a flavorful pan sauce with mustard and cream.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Think about how many times a day everyone in your household touches a light switch or grabs the remote.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Frame the face in the most flattering way with a chin-length bob that curves ever so slightly under.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
30 Mar. 2026
-
When motion curves around a central point, its angle is measured in radians; one full rotation is equal to 2π.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But outside of these rare exceptions, Mario’s pugilism was quickly retired in lieu of hammer hits and kid-friendly blows.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
As a new generation of commanders rises within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following recent military blows under Operation Epic Fury, analysts warn that this ideology may become even more entrenched.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The front of the mouse arches down and spreads wide, suggesting the noggin of the snake it's named after.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, look to modern lattices, scallops, and arches for a timeless feel that’s still up to date.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooks. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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