# hook up to

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hook-up-to
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to connect a machine or a piece of equipment to a power supply or another system.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "hook up the TV at the wall" but "hook up the TV to the wall" — the preposition 'to' is required to show the point of connection.

## Usage notes

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.