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

Brazil's travel advisory was also recently updated, with officials warning Americans about crime and kidnapping, including armed robberies, carjackings and criminals drugging victims' drinks before robbing them. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Kenneth Merritt, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and weapons charges. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

Authorities say after the carjacking, the woman driving Garrett’s car called 911 and gave a description of the attacker as an armed man wearing a red bandana. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 2026

Jeremiah Ross, 21, and Davontate Ashley, 20, allegedly used a handgun to steal property from a marketplace transaction and attempted a carjacking of a second victim, police said. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 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