carjacking

noun

car·​jack·​ing ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ How to pronounce carjacking (audio)
: 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 transitive verb
carjacked; carjacking; carjacks
Several weeks after the shooting, a woman my age was carjacked there. 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

Examples of carjacking in a Sentence

The police are investigating another carjacking.
Recent Examples on the Web Prosecutors said that before the deadly carjacking, the 15-year-old girl was also involved in five street robberies in April and September in which female victims were assaulted by a group of girls who stole purses and other items. Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The UPenn analysis also found a roughly one-third drop in carjackings, alongside little change in assaults and robberies in the Western District attributable to GVRS. Darcy Costello, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2024 Cunningham was also accused in two other carjackings in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 4 Feb. 2024 The carjacking charge carries a statutory maximum term of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 1 Feb. 2024 The officer tried to stop a vehicle that was wanted in connection with a carjacking in Tahoe City around 10 a.m., State Parks said in a news release. Austin Turner, The Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2024 Oakland Police got a call about a carjacking and kidnapping of a child near the Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday, Jan. 23, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024 Guns are used in about half of carjackings, police data show. Gabe Cohen, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024 According to Memphis police, the situation unfolded at about 10 a.m. local time when police were called to a report of a carjacking of a Nissan Maxima. Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 11 Feb. 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.

Word History

Etymology

car + (hi)jack + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carjacking was in 1991

Dictionary Entries Near carjacking

Cite this Entry

“Carjacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carjacking. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

carjacking

noun
car·​jack·​ing ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ How to pronounce carjacking (audio)
: theft by force or intimidation of an auto that has a driver or passenger present

More from Merriam-Webster on carjacking

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