1
: a state of cooperation or alliance
2
: an assemblage (as of circuits) used for a specific purpose (such as radio transmission)
also
: the plan of such an assemblage
3
: an arrangement of mechanical parts
4
: an act or an instance of hooking up
especially
: a casual sexual encounter
hooked up; hooking up; hooks up
1
: to become associated especially in a working or social relationship
The quartet hooked up in 1990 with Reggie Andrews, a high school music teacher who taught the naive group the nuts and bolts of album making and the record industry.—
Lorraine Ali
Lorraine Ali… achieve your next fantasy camp experience in skiing. Do so by hooking up with Olympic medalist Christin Cooper and her husband Mark Tache, a former U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Pro Tour racer.—Skiing
SkiingJudy Ratner was my first best friend. We hooked up in second grade, soon after my family had moved down the block from her house, in a New Jersey suburb.—Marialisa Calta
Marialisa Calta2
informal
: to have a casual sexual encounter
… on Covert Affairs, Christopher Gorham plays a blind CIA tech operative who hooks up with lovely girls …—Libby Gelman-Waxner
Libby Gelman-Waxner
: connect
hooked up the trailer
hook up a hose to the faucet
Intrigued, the researchers hooked up an infrared video camera and let it roll overnight.—Henry Fountain
Henry FountainSynonyms
Examples of hookup in a Sentence
Noun
The interview will be broadcast through a satellite hookup.
The cabin has electric and water hookups.
Verb
former classmates who hooked up and started a business together
Recent Examples on the Web
Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025
In spite of Gen Z ditching dating apps in favor of IRL hookups, user growth on Feeld has increased 30 percent year-over-year since 2022.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 24 Jan. 2025
Parker Hall, WIRED, 30 Jan. 2025
With her husband away and her daughter hooked up to a constantly beeping medical device, exasperated Linda (Rose Byrne) may be going out of her mind, but Bronstein puts us squarely inside it, as the walls close in, the ceiling collapses and the floor buckles beneath her.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hookup 
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Noun
But building new homes without gas hookups should be a relatively easy lift.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025
In spite of Gen Z ditching dating apps in favor of IRL hookups, user growth on Feeld has increased 30 percent year-over-year since 2022.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
Phono Preamps Get a phono amp to hook up that turntable.
—Parker Hall, WIRED, 30 Jan. 2025
With her husband away and her daughter hooked up to a constantly beeping medical device, exasperated Linda (Rose Byrne) may be going out of her mind, but Bronstein puts us squarely inside it, as the walls close in, the ceiling collapses and the floor buckles beneath her.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hookup
Dictionary Entries Near hookup
Cite this Entry
“Hookup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hookup. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hookup
noun
hook·up
ˈhu̇k-ˌəp 
2
a
: an arrangement (as of circuits) used for a specific purpose (as in radio)
b
: the diagram of such an arrangement
3
: an arrangement of mechanical parts
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