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
… 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
Judy 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
2
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
: connect
hooked up a trailer
hook up a hose to the faucet
Intrigued, the researchers hooked up an infrared video camera and let it roll overnight.—Henry Fountain
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
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
As their hot hookups and sexting deepen into a real relationship, the two hockey stars are forced to keep their sizzling romance secret due to their very public careers, and the fear of how coming out would impact their professional and private lives.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Twelves hooked up to a hydrant, and Alves grabbed a chainsaw off the rig to trim some of the trees along the houses as the fire backed down the hill toward them.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hookup
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Noun
The cinematic pickings are notoriously iffy in January but your favorite services like Netflix, Peacock, Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon's Prime Video have got the hookup for every taste.
—Verb
Once at the pad, the mobile launcher will have its electrical, environmental control system ducts and cryogenic propellant feeds hooked up and powered on to make sure the rocket is ready to fly.
—Cite this Entry
“Hookup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hookup. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Kids 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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