Meaning & use
hook in
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To attract someone and keep their interest, often by offering something appealing.
Grammar: Takes an object: hook in customers. The object can also come between hook and in: hook them in.
Patterns
- hook in someone
- hook someone in
The free trial is designed to hook in new users.
The opening scene really hooks the audience in.
They use catchy headlines to hook readers in.
verbtransitive
To connect a device or system to something, especially to a power supply or network.
Grammar: Often used with to: hook in the printer to the network. Can also be intransitive: the computer hooks in automatically.
Patterns
- hook in something to something
- hook something in
We need to hook in the new server to the main system.
Make sure the cables are hooked in properly.
The technician hooked in the equipment to the power supply.
Word forms
| third person singular | hooks in |
|---|---|
| past tense | hooked in |
| past participle | hooked in |
| -ing form | hooking in |
Common combinations
- hook in customers
- The discount was meant to hook in customers.
- hook in new users
- The app uses gamification to hook in new users.
- hook in to something
- The device hooks in to the internet automatically.
- get hooked in
- I got hooked in by the special offer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- attract
- Attract is more general and neutral; hook in suggests a deliberate attempt to keep someone involved.
- engage
- Engage means to get and hold someone's attention, often in a positive way; hook in can imply a trick or sales technique.
- connect
- Connect is the general word for joining things; hook in is more specific to wiring or systems.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: hook in or hook up?
hook in vs hook up
Hook up means to connect equipment or to meet someone (informal); hook in often means to attract or to connect to a system.
Practice
The company launched a loyalty program to ______ more customers.
Choose one answer.
Hook in means to attract and keep customers. Hook on is not a common phrasal verb in this sense; hook up means to connect or meet someone; hook out is not standard.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hook in”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.