hitch

1 of 2

verb

hitched; hitching; hitches

transitive verb

1
: to move by jerks or with a tug
hitching his chair closer to the table
2
a
: to catch or fasten by or as if by a hook or knot
hitched his horse to the fence post
b(1)
: to connect (a vehicle or implement) with a source of motive power
hitch a rake to a tractor
(2)
: to attach (a source of motive power) to a vehicle or instrument
hitch the horses to the wagon
c
: to join in marriage
got hitched
3
: hitchhike
hitched a ride into town

intransitive verb

1
: to move with halts and jerks : hobble
hitched along on her cane
2
a
: to become entangled, made fast, or linked
b
: to become joined in marriage
3
: hitchhike
hitched back home
hitcher noun

hitch

2 of 2

noun

1
: limp
had a hitch in his step
2
: a sudden movement or pull : jerk
gave his trousers a hitch
3
a
: a sudden halt : stoppage
a hitch in the performance
b
: a usually unforeseen difficulty or obstacle
The plan went off without a hitch.
4
: the act or fact of catching hold
5
: a connection between a vehicle or implement and a detachable source of power (such as a tractor or horse)
attached a trailer hitch to his pickup
6
: a delimited period especially of military service
serving a four-year hitch in the navy
7
: any of various knots used to form a temporary noose in a line or to secure a line temporarily to an object
8
: lift entry 2 sense 5b
catching a hitch into town

Examples of hitch in a Sentence

Verb hitch a trailer to a car He hitched across the country last summer. He hitched his way across the country last summer. Noun The plan went off without a hitch. He went back to college after doing his hitch in the army. a seven-year hitch at the newspaper
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The homes range from 18 to 30 feet long and 8 feet 4 inches wide and can be easily towed hitched to a truck, with no special permits or licensing, said Pacifica’s sales director, David Ramirez. Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 Topline Shares of Apple dipped Thursday to their lowest closing share price in almost four months, marking an uneasy stretch for the stock as investors hitch their wagons to Apple’s big technology peers who appear more readily positioned to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Derek Saul, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Tenacity is hitching its ride to low-earth orbit packed inside a 5-meter payload fairing of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket. Stephen J. Beard, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024 There’s so many ways to love you… including getting hitched. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2024 There’s another good reason to hitch the ad’s debut to the championships. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Jan. 2024 That opened the way for OpenAI to hitch its future to the largesse of Microsoft, one of the tech giants it was founded to challenge, and also to shroud its finances. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 24 Jan. 2024 The second-most-popular wedding day, with 3,125 couples getting hitched, was November 11, 2011 (11/11/11). Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Dec. 2023 As for Evans and Baptista, a source told PEOPLE in September that the two had gotten hitched at a private estate in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 23 Dec. 2023
Noun
Starship took off without a hitch this morning, separated from its booster, and cruised through space for a while before SpaceX lost contact with it. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 Edwin pulled off his stunt without a hitch and earned himself hacker cred with his new friends. Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2024 Most attendees to Saturday’s convention who spoke with USA TODAY were hopeful the drama is in the past, and most of the caucuses went off without a hitch. USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 Below are some tips for helping your trip go off without a hitch. Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024 Photograph: Comstock Images/Getty Images The meeting between top US election officials and their cybersecurity partners from the federal government almost went off without a hitch. Eric Geller, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 The American Cinematheque Awards went off without a hitch. Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 In the YouTube video, Keys, 43, smoothly sings the first notes and carries on without a hitch. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 14 Feb. 2024 Basic games like Alto's Odyssey or Mario Kart Tour ran without a hitch, were easy to play, and didn't cause the phone to get warm. PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hitch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English hytchen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hitch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near hitch

Cite this Entry

“Hitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hitch. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hitch

1 of 2 verb
1
: to move by jerks
2
: to catch, fasten, or connect by or as if by a hook or knot
hitch a horse to a rail
3
hitcher noun

hitch

2 of 2 noun
1
: a jerky movement or pull
2
: an unexpected stop or obstacle
the plan went off without a hitch
3
: the connection between something towed (as a plow or trailer) and its mover (as a tractor, automobile, or animal)
4
: a knot used for a temporary fastening
5
: a period usually of military service
do a hitch in the army

More from Merriam-Webster on hitch

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