Noun She hit a hook into the left rough. He threw a right hook to his opponent's body. Verb The train cars were hooked together. My sweater was hooked on a branch. I hooked the door shut. The dress hooks in the back. The two parts hooked together. He hooked a large fish. He hooked his arm around my neck. She hooked her fingers around the doorknob. He hooked his thumb through a loop of his pants. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Since the school would be on the hook for the debt, it would be forced to underwrite its loans. Elliot Kaufman, WSJ, 12 Sep. 2022 Governments could be on the hook for properties that get abandoned, adding additional expenses not covered by their budgets. Brady Dennis, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2022 Aida says six months’ worth of rental assistance has just run out, meaning the sisters are now on the hook for the $1,600 of rent. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2022 The funding formula widely anticipated, though not determined, would have the federal government cover 50 percent, the state paying for 25 percent and local partners, including Brightline and Universal, on the hook for 25 percent. Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Sep. 2022 The Vikings are on the hook for Reagor’s contract and forked over compensation to acquire him. Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 By tampering with the OS loader, the attackers are able to set up another hook in a function of the Windows kernel. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 26 July 2022 Looking to make a statement and not please anyone other than himself, Garcia did just that with his signature left hook. Jose Quintero, USA TODAY, 17 July 2022 The fight appeared even heading to the seventh round with both boxers seeming to hurt the other, but Charlo landed a huge counter left hook in the seventh that changed the entire pace of the fight. Matt Young, Chron, 14 May 2022
Verb
But of all its leather accents, a small strip that hangs from its interior and ends in a miniature key clip, providing a secure place to hook my keys at all times, might be my favorite. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 6 Sep. 2022 Those who work at tech companies, designers especially, have the power—and the responsibility—to raise questions about whether features will hook and pull teens in at the expense of their well-being.WIRED, 22 Aug. 2022 He was taught to make explosives, wrap them in a vest and hook them to a detonator.Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2021 The track not only continues IVE’s rich line of singles so far, but can hook new listeners — particularly as disco-pop remains a trendy sound on top 40. Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 24 Aug. 2022 Under Microsoft's new rules, though, NFT Worlds blockchain will no longer be able to hook into Minecraft's API. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 25 July 2022 Instead, passengers use their own devices – laptops, phones, iPads – and hook in (for free) to a vast library of movies and TV shows. Susan Glaser, cleveland, 21 June 2022 Sure, this pair has a higher price tag, comes with a much larger case, has only IPX4 splashproof-ing (no waterproofing), and takes more effort to hook around your ears. Will Palmer, Outside Online, 13 June 2022 For 2022, the treaty allocation is 266,000 fish in the 12-month period that ends Sept. 30, with most of that going to commercial trollers who hook fish. Hal Bernton, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English hōc; akin to Middle Dutch hoec fishhook, corner, Lithuanian kengė hook
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a