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
Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
Outdoor-grade string lights that are installed in threaded hooks will require little to no attention from you, while rechargeable lamps will need to be brought inside periodically and plugged in.
—Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 15 June 2026
That means avoiding sticking to one type of organizational solution—such as hooks or baskets—and trying a mix of options.
—Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026
In the title track, Lizzo interpolates two elder singer-songwriters, Missy Elliott and Meredith Brooks, who each flipped the slur into biting hooks in the late nineties.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 11 June 2026
The four legs keep it stable, and the durable hooks hold your target in place.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
Steve Rachman of Highland Park, of the Highland Park High School Class of 1977, and of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), volunteered to help families prepare their hooks, educating them about the art of fishing.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Just punch small holes at the top, attach hooks or wire loops on both sides, fill it with water, and hang it just above your feeder.
—Aviva Patz, Martha Stewart, 6 June 2026
The guide had found a fishing line and hooks in his duffel.
—Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
Adam Erace, Fortune, 24 May 2026
Marketing experts say while more and more cash is flowing into the clip-ification of all things, those watching the content can view clips as cheap and disposable moments, not something that hooks someone on a show or internet personality.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 12 May 2026
Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
Despite her lofty ambitions, the avant-pop singer is at her most compelling when grounded in the earthly pleasures of four-to-the-floor beats and straightforward, theatrical hooks.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
Outdoor-grade string lights that are installed in threaded hooks will require little to no attention from you, while rechargeable lamps will need to be brought inside periodically and plugged in.
—Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 15 June 2026
That means avoiding sticking to one type of organizational solution—such as hooks or baskets—and trying a mix of options.
—Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026
In the title track, Lizzo interpolates two elder singer-songwriters, Missy Elliott and Meredith Brooks, who each flipped the slur into biting hooks in the late nineties.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 11 June 2026
The four legs keep it stable, and the durable hooks hold your target in place.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
Steve Rachman of Highland Park, of the Highland Park High School Class of 1977, and of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), volunteered to help families prepare their hooks, educating them about the art of fishing.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Just punch small holes at the top, attach hooks or wire loops on both sides, fill it with water, and hang it just above your feeder.
—Aviva Patz, Martha Stewart, 6 June 2026
The guide had found a fishing line and hooks in his duffel.
—Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
Verb
Armour hooks my arm, and the panic abates.
—Adam Erace, Fortune, 24 May 2026
Marketing experts say while more and more cash is flowing into the clip-ification of all things, those watching the content can view clips as cheap and disposable moments, not something that hooks someone on a show or internet personality.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 12 May 2026
Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooks
Noun
-
Most baseball fights produce a little shoving, occasional hugging, some dancing and pulled powderpuff punches.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
-
Three days before the first punches are set to be thrown at a White House-UFC event, the South Lawn is unrecognizable.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Build a fair number upstream, and the appeals layer downstream quietly bends it back.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2026
-
Their goal is to reproduce a 1919 eclipse experiment that measured how the sun’s gravity bends the light from distant stars and confirmed Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, according to the Spanish Scientific and Advisory Committee for the Trio of Eclipses.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The critical oil and gas shipping lane connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and leads to the open ocean.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
After the vehicle is parked, the robotic arm detects its position, connects the charging cable, and begins charging without requiring any manual input.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The album’s second half steals the show.—
Maria Nenet Barrios,
Pitchfork,
18 June 2026
-
Critics are at 78% fresh for the older-guy-skewing period drama, which follows the dude who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The design is what grabs your attention at first sight.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 12,
New Atlas,
12 June 2026
-
The goal is to have a welcoming environment that grabs visitors' attention.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Phoebe Philo’s version, a backless white tank with a dramatic ruffle that curves across the waist and up the shoulder blades transforms the silhouette into an avant-garde sculpture.—
Diana Tsui,
Footwear News,
15 June 2026
-
About half a mile from the high school, the road curves to the left.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Feminism was anti-gerontocratic, too, striking blows against old men and their old ways.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
The biggest blows came from Garcia and Starling Marte.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Smith arches over the patient, his body an umbrella to protect the wound.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
-
The protective netting that arches over so many of the roads in the eastern Donbas region – stopping drones in their tracks – is not your friend here, but a limitation on movement.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hooks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooks. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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