Phrasal verb
hook up to
Definition
phrasal verb. to connect a machine or a piece of equipment to a power supply or another system.
phrasal verb. to establish a physical or electronic connection between a device and a larger network, power source, or secondary apparatus.
Examples
“I need to hook up the printer to my laptop.”
“The technician will hook up the new monitor to the central server tomorrow morning.”
“Once the engineers hook up the backup generators to the hospital's main grid, the facility will be fully protected against power outages.”
Examples
simple
“I need to hook up the printer to my laptop.”
contextual
“The technician will hook up the new monitor to the central server tomorrow morning.”
complex
“Once the engineers hook up the backup generators to the hospital's main grid, the facility will be fully protected against power outages.”
Usage
usually followed by a direct object (the device) and the preposition 'to' (the source).
Teaching tip
distinguish this technical sense from the informal 'hook up with' (to meet or have a romantic encounter) to avoid social embarrassment.
Pitfall
hook up the TV at the wall
hook up the TV to the wall
the preposition 'to' is required to show the point of connection.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
hook + object + up + to + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hook-up-to