play hooky


Be absent from school or some other obligation without permission, as in It was such a beautiful day that Herb played hooky from work. In this term, the noun hooky may have come from the phrase hook it, meaning “escape.” [Mid-1800s]

Words Nearby play hooky

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

How to use play hooky in a sentence

  • That he naturally despised the articles of such a soulless faith was evident in his constant inclination to play hooky.

    The Place of Honeymoons | Harold MacGrath
  • To play hooky and go nutting is far better than to study and fit himself for earning a livelihood.

    Pocket Island | Charles Clark Munn
  • There was enough to do in town, and it wasn't fair for him to play hooky while Zarek worked alone.

    The Chapter Ends | Poul William Anderson