the contact of an aircraft in flight with the refuelling hose of a tanker aircraft
an alliance or relationship, esp an unlikely one, between people, countries, etc
the linking of broadcasting equipment or stations to transmit a special programme
to connect (two or more people or things)
slang (often foll by with) to get married (to)
Assemble or wire a mechanism, as in Dick helped us hook up the stereo system . [1920s]
Connect a mechanism with a main source, as in The computer had not yet been hooked up to the mainframe . [1920s]
hook up with . Form a tie or association, as in She had hooked up with the wrong crowd . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By overseeing how data centers hook up to the grid, federal regulators could make it easier and faster for them to construct their own power supply, administration officials have argued.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
A plumber was scheduled this week to hook up the stove, washer and dryer, so they left with only the clothes on their backs, work computers and passports, just to be safe.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2025
It normally takes the ground crew several minutes to either hook up the passenger boarding bridge or put boarding stairs in place.
From BBC • Sep. 28, 2024
I got one good hook up there in the mountain up on that cliff, and I'm still climbing.
From BBC • May 20, 2024
I would hook up the mule to a long bar that was attached to the crushing machine.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
