26984 words

hacks

22 definitions • 30 examples
1
to cut into pieces in a rough and violent way, often without aiming exactly:

Examples:

hack something off The butcher hacked off a large chunk of meat.
be hacked to death Three villagers were hacked to death in a savage attack.
be hacked about UK figurative The article had been hacked about (= carelessly changed) so much that it was scarcely recognizable.
2
in football, to foul (= act against the rules) by kicking another player in the leg in a violent way:

Examples:

be hacked down He was twice hacked down in the second half by the other team's sweeper.
3
in rugby, to kick the ball when it is loose on the ground:

Examples:

hack the ball The scrum-half hacked the ball through for the winger to run on to.
4
to hit at a golf ball in a rough and violent way, often without aiming exactly:

Examples:

Most of us who hack our way around the golf course hope one day to be skilled golfers.
He was hacking desperately in the deep rough.
They had to hack their next shots out of the rough.
hack around They have invited me to hack around with them sometime on the course.
5
to get into someone else's computer system without permission in order to find out information or do something illegal:

Examples:

hack a computer He claimed they had spied on him and tried to hack his computer.
Computer hacking has become widespread over the last decade.
hack into A programmer had managed to hack into some top-secret government data.
6
to use someone else's phone system without permission, especially to listen to their spoken messages:

Examples:

hack a phone She suspected the newspaper of hacking her phone.
Police told the actor that his phone had been hacked.
hack into Someone must have hacked into her phone messages.
7
to manage to deal successfully with something:

Examples:

can't hack I tried working on the night shift for a while, but I just couldn't hack it.
8
to ride a horse for pleasure
9
a journalist (= writer for newspapers or magazines) whose work is low in quality or does not have much imagination:

Examples:

Fleet Street hacks
10
a politician, especially one who is not important:

Examples:

party hack tired old party hacks
11
a ride on a horse in the countryside
12
a car that is available for rent, especially a taxi
13
a good solution or piece of advice:

Examples:

I found a great online community of users sharing tips and hacks for the app.
Improve your fitness routine with one simple hack.
Try this hack for cooking a perfect egg in a microwave.
14
to cut something or someone with rough or uneven movements:

Examples:

[ T ] We hacked a path through the underbrush.
[ I ] He hacked away at the logs, splitting enough wood for a fire.
15
to access someone else’s computer system without permission in order to obtain or change information:

Examples:

Someone managed to hack into the company database.
16
a person who willingly works or acts mostly for money or other rewards without worrying about independence, beliefs, or reputation:

Examples:

17
A hack is also a writer who produces a lot of work for money without caring very much about its quality.
18
to use a computer to access information stored on another computer system without permission, or to spread a computer virus:

Examples:

hack into sth Two employees were charged with hacking into the company's computer system and changing data.
Studies have revealed that it's fairly easy to hack an electronic voting system.
19
a writer, especially a journalist, who produces articles, books, etc. that are of low quality:

Examples:

20
someone who works mainly for money without worrying about beliefs or the opinions of others:

Examples:

21
a person who drives a taxi
22

Examples:

A hack into an employee's email provided access to a number of confidential documents.

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