hitch

verb \ ˈhich \

Definition of hitch

transitive verb

1 :to move by jerks or with a tug

hitching his chair closer to the table

2 a :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

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

b :to become joined in marriage

3 :hitchhike

hitched back home

—

hitcher

noun

See hitch defined for English-language learners

See hitch defined for kids

Examples of hitch in a Sentence

hitch a trailer to a car
He hitched across the country last summer.
He hitched his way across the country last summer.

Recent Examples of hitch from the Web

In fact, only one parent total was able to hitch a ride with the transport team — and that’s only because their child was the only one being transported on that particular flight.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "A Nurse on Rescuing Critically Ill Babies From Hurricane Harvey," 30 Aug. 2017
The question of doling outimproper political favors hitched itself to Mandel, even though he was never charged.

— chrissie thompson, Cincinnati.com, "The constant re-imagining of Josh Mandel," 27 Aug. 2017
Sometime in the years right after WWII, as military planes were flying in and out of Guam, a species called the brown tree snake hitched a ride from the South Pacific.

— sarah zhang, The Atlantic, "When the U.S. Military Came to Guam," 12 Aug. 2017
Nasra had hitched a ride east after leaving her family home with sights set on the capital, Mogadishu, some 200 miles away.

— amanda sperber, Glamour, "Meet 18-year-old Nasra, Somalia’s First and Only Female Auto Mechanic," 17 July 2017
Brandenburg decided to move to higher ground, hoping to hitch a ride to Kennedy Meadows in the Southern Sierra to resume his trek.

— brian melley, The Seattle Times, "Rescuers robbed at gunpoint trying to aid distressed hiker," 10 July 2017
Employees and visitors to the factory wear shoe covers, hairnets and gowns, and scrub their hands before entering a booth where they're blasted with jets of air to bat away anything that might try to hitch a ride inside.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "Dental products firm expands facility in Alsip," 10 July 2017
Oates once hitched a ride — on a plane — with Andy Warhol By their mid-’80s career peak, the duo had already met Andy Warhol and got to know the artist a little bit.

— robert philpot, star-telegram, "5 things we learned from John Oates’ memoir," 5 July 2017
In this episode of Ventures, Bloomberg Businessweek's Ashlee Vance journeys to India to watch Planet's satellites hitch a ride on a rocket.

— Bloomberg.com, "The All-Seeing Eye in the Sky," 28 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of hitch

Middle English hytchen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

hitch Synonyms

Synonyms

buck, jerk, hoick, jolt, twitch, yank

hitch

noun

Definition of hitch

1 :limp

had a hitch in his step

2 :a sudden movement or pull :jerk

gave his trousers a hitch

3 a :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 5b

catching a hitch into town

See hitch defined for English-language learners

Examples of hitch in a Sentence

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 of hitch from the Web

The eclipse went off without a hitch for the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which delivers 80 percent of the electricity in a state that has more solar energy capacity than every other state in the country combined.

— dino grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Eclipse tests growing power of renewable energy," 22 Aug. 2017
A couple hitch-hikers grabbing a lift in New York, in the back of a flatbed en route to L.A.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty: Fathers and sons, and what matters most," 21 Aug. 2017
Mahomes took the snap expecting that hitch route to be open.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Game film of Patrick Mahomes’ preseason debut reveals an encouraging incomplete pass," 17 Aug. 2017
Miestowski's goal now is to transition into the high school season without a hitch.

— mike hutton, Post-Tribune, "Lake Central's Alexis Miestowski ready for another state title run," 3 Aug. 2017
But there's a potential hitch, noted Clay Chandler, executive editor of Time Inc., parent company of Fortune, and weekly columnist on Chinese business as part of Fortune's CEO Daily newsletter.

— robert hackett, Fortune, "Netflix Stock Soars as Subscribers and Debt Pile Up," 17 July 2017
After conferring with the Blue Jays and crew chief Joe West, the game is scheduled to start without a hitch.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "'Brutal': Heavy rain, Metallica concert tear up Comerica Park outfield grass," 14 July 2017
Since its first flight in 2003, the Delta IV Heavy has flown nine successful missions without a hitch.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "Sorry Veep, America already leads the world in space by a large margin," 7 July 2017
But there's a hitch: At some locations, most of the volunteers want to help take information, not handle deer.

— rick romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With deer hunting woven into our cultural and economic fabric, a threat to the herd could turn catastrophic," 6 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of hitch

see ¹hitch

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1664

See Words from the same year

hitch Synonyms

Synonyms

booby trap, catch, catch-22, gimmick, gotcha, pitfall, joker, land mine, snag

Related Words

snare, trap, trip wire, web; hazard, peril, risk; bomb, bombshell, kicker, surprise (also surprize); bait, decoy, lure

HITCH Defined for English Language Learners

hitch

verb

Definition of hitch for English Language Learners

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

hitch

noun

Definition of hitch for English Language Learners

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