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

Damarri Conner, 23, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and gun charges. —Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026

Cooper was also charged with first-degree felony murder, conspiracy, armed carjacking, and armed robbery. —Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026

The plot to murder Stanifer, according to prosecutors, was hatched as part of a robbery and carjacking, and led to a series of shocking decisions. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026

The man whose carjacking attempt led to the fatal shooting of an Orange County woman in 2021 was sentenced to life in prison Monday after nearly two years of procedural delays over his conviction. —Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 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