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

Notably, violent crime is down 39% and carjackings by 74% — there have been just 12 since the federal takeover, compared with 47 during the same window in 2024. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025

Project Green Light, the city's high-definition camera network at more than 1,000 businesses, has been credited with helping nearly eliminate robberies and carjackings on those premises. —Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025

Over the first 20 days of the federal surge, carjackings fell by 87%. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025

Edward Tiki Arrington, 45, also known as Troy Mike Payton, attempted multiple carjackings and was successful in one, prosecutors said. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025

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