Say it like this
- Let me hook up the new monitoring service to our dashboard.
- Can you hook up the database to the staging environment?
- We need to hook up Stripe to our payment flow.
- I'll hook up the CI pipeline to the new repo this afternoon.
Use it at work
Integrations
- Let's hook up the app to Stripe.
- Can you hook up the logs to Datadog?
Hardware
- I'll hook up the monitor to the meeting room laptop.
- Is the camera hooked up?
Connecting people
- I can hook you up with someone on the data team.
- Let me hook you up with the right contact.
Don't say this
Hook up is a phrasal verb — you need both words together.
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. How would you tell your team you're connecting the new API?
2. Which sentence has a mistake?
3. Let me _____ the new logging service to our dashboard.
4. We hooked up Stripe to our payment flow.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 4
"Let me hook up the new monitoring service to our dashboard."
We don't save your recording. The word check uses your browser's speech recognition.
More about hook up
Real examples(7)
- Standup
"Today I'm going to hook up the logging service to our new microservice."
- Slack message
"Hey, can someone help me hook up the test database to my local environment?"
- GitHub PR
"This PR hooks up the authentication module to the user service."
- Jira ticket
"Hook up Datadog monitoring to the production cluster."
- Retrospective
"We spent too much time trying to hook up the legacy system to the new API."
- Sprint planning
"We need to hook up the payment gateway before we can test checkout."
- Pair programming
"Let's hook up this component to the state management first."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. In casual American English, "hook up" can mean a romantic meeting. In tech contexts, the meaning is always clear, but be aware of this in social settings.
- ✕We hooked up the systems yesterday and it was very formal.✓We connected the systems yesterday.
Hook up is casual. Use 'connect' or 'integrate' in formal writing.
- ✕Can you hook up me with the database access?✓Can you hook me up with database access?
The object (me) goes between 'hook' and 'up' when it's a pronoun.
Other forms(4)
- hook up base form
"We need to hook up the printer."
- hooked up past tense
"I hooked up the new service yesterday."
- hooking up present participle
"She's hooking up the monitoring tools now."
- hookup noun
"The API hookup took longer than expected."
Often used with(5)
- hook up to · The most common pattern: hook up X to Y.
- hook up with · Connect with a service or get access through someone.
- get hooked up · To have something connected for you.
- hook up a connection · Establish a link between systems.
- quick hookup · A fast or simple connection setup.
Similar words(5)
- connect · More neutral and works in formal contexts too.
- integrate · More formal; implies deeper connection between systems.
- link · Neutral alternative, common in documentation.
- wire up · Casual, often used for frontend components or configurations.
- plug in · Casual, often for hardware or modular components.
Opposites(5)
- disconnect
- unplug
- decouple
- detach
- remove
Questions(5)
- Is 'hook up' too casual for work?
- 'Hook up' is casual but acceptable in standups, Slack, and team discussions. For formal documentation or client emails, use 'connect' or 'integrate' instead.
- Can 'hook up' have a non-technical meaning?
- Yes, in casual American English, 'hook up' can mean to meet someone romantically. In tech contexts, it clearly means connecting systems. Context makes the meaning clear.
- What's the difference between 'hook up' and 'integrate'?
- 'Hook up' is casual and means making a basic connection. 'Integrate' is more formal and suggests a deeper, more complete connection between systems.
- Can I use 'hook up' in a PR description?
- Yes, 'hook up' is fine in PR descriptions since they're informal. Example: 'This PR hooks up the auth service to the user module.'
- What preposition comes after 'hook up'?
- Use 'to' when connecting to something: 'hook up the database to the server.' Use 'with' when getting access: 'hook me up with API credentials.'
