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 After nine days of tearful pleas for her sons’ safe return, Smith confessed that there had been no carjacking. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2024 Louisville Courier Journal Louisville Metro Police released body camera footage Tuesday of the officer shooting outside a Walmart near the Fairdale neighborhood after an armed carjacking attempt late last month. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 Sep. 2024 Texas officials are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of a suspect involved in the fatal carjacking of a 90-year-old veteran over the holiday weekend. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2024 The carjacking was reported about 11:40 a.m. in the 21000 block of Towncenter Plaza, in the Sterling area, according to the sheriff's office. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 29 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for carjacking 

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 6 Oct. 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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