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
Four juveniles have been arrested in connection with a carjacking that occurred early Tuesday morning in West Baltimore, police announced.
—Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2025
At least two people were shot during a possible carjacking in Miramar at an Aldi supermarket plaza Saturday afternoon, according to police.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 31 May 2025
Two juvenile boys were arrested and charged with murder this week after allegedly fatally shooting a man during a carjacking in Texas.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 13 May 2025
According to Devlin’s report, Shoemaker-Gonzalez stole the man’s Toyota RAV4 and headed toward Bristol where police were told to be on the lookout around 12:20 p.m. for a vehicle taken during a carjacking involving a suspect armed with a knife.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for carjacking
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Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2025
At least two people were shot during a possible carjacking in Miramar at an Aldi supermarket plaza Saturday afternoon, according to police.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 31 May 2025
Two juvenile boys were arrested and charged with murder this week after allegedly fatally shooting a man during a carjacking in Texas.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 13 May 2025
According to Devlin’s report, Shoemaker-Gonzalez stole the man’s Toyota RAV4 and headed toward Bristol where police were told to be on the lookout around 12:20 p.m. for a vehicle taken during a carjacking involving a suspect armed with a knife.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 May 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 11 Jul. 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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