carjacking

noun

car·​jack·​ing ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ 

: the theft of an automobile from its driver by force or intimidation

In the cities and suburbs, where muggings and carjackings are a daily concern, voters are wondering how many of the nation's 200 million guns are pointed at them.

—Richard Lacayo

… Congress made a show of getting tough on crime by making armed carjackings a federal crime.

—Janet Novack

carjack

ˈkär-ˌjak 

transitive verb

carjacked; carjacking; carjacks

Several weeks after the shooting, a woman my age was carjacked there.

—Susan Straight

carjacker

ˈkär-ˌja-kər 

noun

plural carjackers

If you're confronted by a carjacker, be cooperative. The big picture: It's your car versus your life.

—Amy Lumet

Examples of carjacking in a Sentence

The police are investigating another carjacking.

Recent Examples on the Web

Two men, including a former Towson University football player, are being held without bail after allegedly shooting another man during a carjacking last month. — Ashley Paul, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026

Executive Assistant Chief of Police Terrence Rhodes said at a news conference Thursday that officers were initially called to a carjacking in the 3500 block of Sunnyvale Street in south Dallas. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Aug. 2026

Dixson was charged by a federal indictment in November 2025 with one count of kidnapping, one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026

Homicides were also down 60%, robberies down 49%, carjackings down 68%, and overall crime down 32% compared to the same time in 2024. — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

car + (hi)jack + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for carjacking

• attacking
• backpacking
• backtracking
• hijacking
• kayaking
• meatpacking
• ransacking
• repacking
• unpacking
• backing
• blacking
• clacking

Legal Definition

carjacking

noun

car·​jack·​ing ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ 

: theft by force or intimidation of an auto that has a driver or passenger present