hitch

verb

Save Word

\ ˈhich

hitched; hitching; hitches

Definition of hitch

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to move by jerks or with a tug hitching his chair closer to the table

2a : to catch or fasten by or as if by a hook or knot hitched his horse to the fence post

b(1) : to connect (a vehicle or implement) with a source of motive power hitch a rake to a tractor

(2) : to attach (a source of motive power) to a vehicle or instrument hitch the horses to the wagon

c : to join in marriage got hitched

3 : hitchhike hitched a ride into town

intransitive verb

1 : to move with halts and jerks : hobble hitched along on her cane

2a : to become entangled, made fast, or linked

b : to become joined in marriage

3 : hitchhike hitched back home

hitch

noun

Definition of hitch (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : limp had a hitch in his step

2 : a sudden movement or pull : jerk gave his trousers a hitch

3a : a sudden halt : stoppage a hitch in the performance

b : a usually unforeseen difficulty or obstacle The plan went off without a hitch.

4 : the act or fact of catching hold

5 : a connection between a vehicle or implement and a detachable source of power (such as a tractor or horse) attached a trailer hitch to his pickup

6 : a delimited period especially of military service serving a four-year hitch in the navy

7 : any of various knots used to form a temporary noose in a line or to secure a line temporarily to an object

8 : lift entry 2 sense 5b catching a hitch into town

Other Words from hitch Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hitch

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of hitch in a Sentence

Verb hitch a trailer to a car He hitched across the country last summer. He hitched his way across the country last summer. Noun The plan went off without a hitch. He went back to college after doing his hitch in the army. a seven-year hitch at the newspaper

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Biden, who supports an opt-in, has hitched himself to President Barack Obama's landmark Affordable Care Act and proposes updates to the policy to strengthen aspects that have been chipped away at under President Donald Trump. — Sam Metz, USA TODAY, "Democrats to debate in California. Some of the state's controversial laws have divided the field," 19 Dec. 2019 Since his election four years ago, Mr. Bevin has hitched himself to President Trump, and his allegations of irregularities echo the Trump playbook. — Matthew Rosenberg, New York Times, "Close Election in Kentucky Was Ripe for Twitter, and an Omen for 2020," 10 Nov. 2019 The number of marriages breaking up has fallen drastically in the past few decades, probably because fewer people are getting hitched in the first place. — The Economist, "Britain’s housing paradox: overcrowding and underoccupancy are both rising," 19 Oct. 2019 Both versions follow a group of friends through that dizzying period of their early 30s when everyone suddenly get hitched. — Judy Berman, Time, "Four Weddings and a Funeral," 24 July 2019 The feat marks the first time a commercial space craft capable of carrying humans hitched itself to the ISS, and the implications for Elon Musk's rocket business and the U.S. space program are equally huge. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "SpaceX's First Manned Mission to The ISS Could Come as Quickly as July," 4 Mar. 2019 The new Spire microsatellites, which hitched a ride as a secondary payload on an Indian rocket carrying a radar-imaging satellite, resemble small 5-kilogram monoliths. — Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, "Microsatellites will capture GPS reflections to sharpen weather forecasts," 11 Dec. 2019 The captain and co-pilot regained control of the aircraft by manually overriding the automated system with help from a third Lion Air pilot who was hitching a ride in the cockpit jump seat. — Niniek Karmini, chicagotribune.com, "Final report on Indonesia 737 Max crash blames Boeing, FAA, Lion Air," 25 Oct. 2019 More than a dozen octopuses—including one that hitched a ride on Hercules for a bit—were clinging to the whale’s spine and rib bones. — Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian, "Watch Marine Life Feast On a Complete Whale Skeleton On the Ocean Floor," 16 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The floats rolled along without any significant hitches, unlike last year, when the Chinese American Heritage Foundation’s float caught fire near the beginning of the parade route on Orange Grove Boulevard. — Los Angeles Times, "Rose Parade celebrates diversity with Rita Moreno, Los Lobos and Maria from ‘Sesame Street’," 1 Jan. 2020 However, there were occasional hitches that, while not too disruptive to gameplay, interrupted the experience. — Benjamin Levin, CNN Underscored, "Amazon's Fire HD 10 gives you great entertainment options on a budget," 26 Dec. 2019 The need for knowledge of how to construct buildings on the ice meant that scientists were able to hitch rides along with the military and conduct research. — David James, Anchorage Daily News, "In Greenland’s ice, the world’s past, present and future," 21 Dec. 2019 The wedding went off without a hitch under brilliant skies at the ancient castle amidst moving scenes of grace and unfettered joy and the pageantry that only the British royals can conjure. — Maria Puente, USA TODAY, "Top royal moments of the last decade: Will & Kate's wedding, the Queen's silly video and more," 16 Dec. 2019 For times when there’s no tree limb available, some companies make tripod or hitch receiver game hoists that accomplish the same thing. — The Editors, Field & Stream, "Three Things that will Help You Field Dress A Deer," 6 Dec. 2019 If form holds, there will be major hitches along the way. — Detroit Free Press, "TV highlights for the week of Dec. 8-14," 6 Dec. 2019 The Tigers ran a hitch-and-go route, which allowed Barron to find enough space in the back corner of the end zone to pull down Van Dyke’s pass. — Shawn Mcfarland, courant.com, "Glastonbury native Tyler Van Dyke, a Miami commit, throws four touchdowns as Suffield Academy tops Avon Old Farms 29-21 in NEPSAC bowl game," 16 Nov. 2019 The Browns backed off the Ravens receivers with caution, but the Ravens didn’t take advantage with short hitches, slants and out routes. — Mike Preston, baltimoresun.com, "Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 40-25 loss to Browns," 29 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hitch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about hitch

Dictionary Entries near hitch

Statistics for hitch

Last Updated

14 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Hitch.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hitch. Accessed 22 January 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for hitch

hitch

verb

English Language Learners Definition of hitch

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to attach, fasten, or connect (something) with a hook, knot, etc.

hitch

noun

English Language Learners Definition of hitch (Entry 2 of 2)

: a hidden problem that makes something more complicated or difficult to do

: a device that is used to connect one thing (such as a plow or trailer) to another (such as a tractor, car, or animal)

US, informal : a period of service in the military, at a job, etc.

See the full definition for hitch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

hitch

verb

\ ˈhich

hitched; hitching

Kids Definition of hitch

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to fasten by or as if by a hook or knot Hitch the horses to the wagon.

2 : hitchhike

3 : to pull or lift (something) with a quick movement

hitch

noun

Kids Definition of hitch (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an unexpected stop or problem Even their opening performance in Seattle went off without a hitch …— Richard and Florence Atwater, Mr. Popper's Penguins

2 : a jerky movement or pull He gave his pants a hitch.

3 : a knot used for a temporary fastening

Keep scrolling for more