hitch

verb

\ 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

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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

From Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, 2018 seemed like the year to get hitched. — Charlotte Chilton, Town & Country, "The Best and Worst Wedding Dates for 2019," 29 Nov. 2018 Prince Harry and Prince William's third cousin Lady Gabriella Windsor is set to get hitched in Spring 2019. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Princess Eugenie & Jack Brooksbank's First Kiss as Newlyweds Compared to Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's," 12 Oct. 2018 In surveillance video released Friday, Gonzalez is seen cleaning out his boat that was hitched to his black truck when Cruz, who is homeless, approaches him. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "Model charged after homeless man beating captured in surveillance video," 28 Aug. 2018 Getting hitched is a good opportunity for a man to go custom; the specialized experience makes for an extra-special suit. — Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "The New Intimidation-Free Way to Get a Custom Suit," 9 Aug. 2018 The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross slots in-between the subcompact machines like the Hyundai Kona and the larger compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V. Power comes from a 152 hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder hitched to a CVT. — Ben Stewart, Popular Mechanics, "Cargo Showdown: Which Crossover SUV Is Best for Hauling Your Stuff?," 4 Aug. 2018 So even though their wedding is rumored to take place on December 2, legally, they're already hitched. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Are Married—Here's Everything We Know About the Wedding," 4 Dec. 2018 Such small satellites typically hitch a ride as a secondary payload on a rocket dedicated to lifting a larger spacecraft, which means schedules often are at the mercy of the main customer. — Andy Pasztor, WSJ, "SpaceX Launches 19th Rocket in a Year, a Company Record," 3 Dec. 2018 Last month, Virgin Orbit hitched the rocket to the side of its jet for the first time, although the plane didn't take flight. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Virgin Orbit Flies Converted 747 With Rocket Attached to Its Wing For First Time," 19 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

According to court records, Miller was a drifter who had been living in the home of a man who picked him up hitch-hiking. — Travis Loller, The Seattle Times, "Murder victim’s mother remembers ‘bubbly, happy character’," 28 Nov. 2018 Pulling It Together Pathogens hitch rides on hosts, spreading microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. — Mallory Locklear, Discover Magazine, "With Big Data and Predictive Analytics, Scientists Are Getting Smarter About Outbreaks," 8 Nov. 2018 There are some hitches, Bardeen explained in an interview. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Remote Assist finally makes the HoloLens useful for anyone," 18 Sep. 2018 No Man’s Sky NEXT is riddled with glitches that range from audio hitches while warping between star systems to complete breakdowns in certain quest lines. — Steven Strom, Ars Technica, "With NEXT update, No Man’s Sky finally brings it all together," 6 Aug. 2018 While the wave machine did suffer from some technical difficulties and halted competition for about 90 minutes, the live broadcast, a first of its kind, went off without hitch on CBS. — Hemal Jhaveri, For The Win, "How Kelly Slater took surfing out of the ocean and onto dry land," 3 July 2018 Suddenly something as simple as taking up a governor’s request to deliver the speech — typically done without a hitch — is more complicated. — Becky Bohrer, The Seattle Times, "Alaska governor prepares for first State of State speech," 21 Jan. 2019 The problem is fixed in a trice, and the show goes on without a hitch. — David Kirby, WSJ, "‘The Birth of Loud’ Review: Constructive Feedback," 17 Jan. 2019 Ars Technica reports that several government officials are working without pay to make sure the launch from Florida's Complex 39A goes off without a hitch. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "SpaceX Pushes Back 'Especially Dangerous' Dragon Test," 7 Jan. 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.

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Last Updated

28 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for hitch

The first known use of hitch was in the 14th century

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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