Synonyms of hoopnext
often attributive
1
: a circular strip used especially for holding together the staves of containers or as a plaything
2
a
: a circular figure or object : ring
b
: the rim of a basketball goal
broadly : the entire goal
3
: a circle or series of circles of flexible material used to expand a woman's skirt
4
: basketball
—usually plural
hooplike adjective

hoop

2 of 2

verb

hooped; hooping; hoops

transitive verb

: to bind or fasten with or as if with a hoop
hooper noun

Examples of hoop in a Sentence

Noun made Christmas garlands from hoops of red and green construction paper
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Finishing touches included a Ralph Lauren belt and a set of delicate Cartier hoop earrings. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Above a gargantuan television hung on the rear wall, a disco ball levitated inside a regulation-size hoop. — Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
Murray spent a lot of time this offseason hooping in Denver, bent on showing last season’s first All-Star berth wasn’t a fluke. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2026 Very few guys will ever be good enough at hooping to become an NBA trade asset. — Shakeia Taylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hoop

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hōp; akin to Middle Dutch hoep ring, hoop

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoop was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoop. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

hoop

noun
ˈhu̇p, 
ˈhüp
1
: a circular band used for holding together the strips that make up the sides of a barrel
also : a similar band used as a toy
2
a
: a circular figure or object : ring
b
: the rim of a basketball goal
broadly : the entire goal
3
: basketball
—usually used in plural
4
: a circle or series of circles of flexible material used to expand a woman's skirt
hoop verb

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