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
Since the deployment of the troops, carjackings have decreased by 83%, robberies by 46%, car thefts by 21%, and overall violent crime by 22% compared to the previous seven days, according to Metropolitan Police Department’s police union.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
While homicides and carjackings have fallen since peaking during the pandemic, public safety challenges remain, especially along the Green Line light rail corridor on University Avenue.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2025
However, even armed carjackings are down 53%, according to prosecutors.
—Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Following a spike in 2023 of robberies and carjackings, data shows violent crime in DC is in steep decline, reaching a multiyear low and mirroring a nationwide drop in crime.
—semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carjacking
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Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
While homicides and carjackings have fallen since peaking during the pandemic, public safety challenges remain, especially along the Green Line light rail corridor on University Avenue.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2025
However, even armed carjackings are down 53%, according to prosecutors.
—Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Following a spike in 2023 of robberies and carjackings, data shows violent crime in DC is in steep decline, reaching a multiyear low and mirroring a nationwide drop in crime.
—semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carjacking
Cite this Entry
“Carjacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carjacking. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
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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