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
Richard Lacayo… Congress made a show of getting tough on crime by making armed carjackings a federal crime.—Janet Novack
Janet Novack
carjack
transitive verb
carjacked; carjacking; carjacks
Several weeks after the shooting, a woman my age was carjacked there.
—Susan Straight
Susan Straight
carjacker
noun
plural carjackers
If you're confronted by a carjacker, be cooperative. The big picture: It's your car versus your life.
—Amy Lumet
Amy Lumet
Examples of carjacking in a Sentence
The police are investigating another carjacking.
Recent Examples on the Web
The vehicle driven by the attackers in the carjacking and slaying of a woman in Seminole County, Florida, is connected to the killing of a tow truck driver, authorities said.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
Investigators in Florida tied the suspects in a deadly carjacking to the shooting death of a tow truck driver, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said Monday.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024
Two days into Brown's trip, he was fatally shot in the rib during a carjacking and thrown from his car, according to a police report.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 15 Apr. 2024
June 29 Police got a call about another carjacking at the Speedway service station at S. Howell Avenue and E. Oklahoma Avenue.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
The other warrants include charges of kidnapping, carjacking, burglary and felon in possession of a firearm, among other charges.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
How many carjackings are reported in Louisville over the years?
—Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 1 Apr. 2024
Officers from the police department’s Carjacking Interdiction unit and the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement unit had been working throughout the area to combat a rise in carjackings.
—Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
No arrests were made as of 11:30 p.m. Thursday, the police department said on X.
Was shooting connected to nearby carjacking?
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
Investigators in Florida tied the suspects in a deadly carjacking to the shooting death of a tow truck driver, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said Monday.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024
Two days into Brown's trip, he was fatally shot in the rib during a carjacking and thrown from his car, according to a police report.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 15 Apr. 2024
June 29 Police got a call about another carjacking at the Speedway service station at S. Howell Avenue and E. Oklahoma Avenue.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
The other warrants include charges of kidnapping, carjacking, burglary and felon in possession of a firearm, among other charges.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
How many carjackings are reported in Louisville over the years?
—Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 1 Apr. 2024
Officers from the police department’s Carjacking Interdiction unit and the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement unit had been working throughout the area to combat a rise in carjackings.
—Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
No arrests were made as of 11:30 p.m. Thursday, the police department said on X.
Was shooting connected to nearby carjacking?
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carjacking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near carjacking
Cite this Entry
“Carjacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carjacking. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
carjacking
noun
car·jack·ing
ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ
: theft by force or intimidation of an auto that has a driver or passenger present
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