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

However, sources have told People that the couple are also considering getting hitched on the island Pantalleria, off the coast of Sicily. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Charlotte Casiraghi's Wedding to Dimitri Rassam Is Reportedly This Summer—Here's Everything We Know," 10 Apr. 2019 Naturally, fans were wondering what Todd thought about his baby girl getting hitched. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "Here's What Todd Chrisley Really Thinks About Daughter Savannah's Surprise Engagement," 7 Apr. 2019 As for the other Liars, TVLine reported that Spencer and Toby got hitched, running away to elope, and Hanna has a baby too! — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "“Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists” Announced Aria and Ezra Now Have a Child," 29 Mar. 2019 When high school sweethearts Margaret and Ferris Romaire got hitched on November 24, 1946, not a single picture was taken. — Sarah Schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "Inspirational Couple Got the Best Gift for Their 70th Anniversary — Wedding Photos They Never Took," 1 Dec. 2016 Men like Safeway's Steve Burd and Walgreens' Jay Rosan, each of whom tried to hitch their companies to Holmes' wagon of lies, also belong in the scorn category. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "The downfall of Theranos, from the journalist who made it happen," 15 July 2018 The Hoff has gotten hitched for the third time. David Hasselhoff's publicist confirmed Tuesday that the actor has married model Hayley Roberts. — Fox News, "David Hasselhoff marries model Hayley Roberts in Italy," 31 July 2018 Of course, this incredibly sweet story prompted Wendy to ask the next big question: Are the two getting hitched anytime soon? — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'Today' Show Star Hoda Kotb Revealed So Much to Wendy Williams About Her Boyfriend Joel," 15 Mar. 2019 The rule says states must allow for twin tandem trailers hitched together on highways to be 28 feet in length each and weigh no more than a total of 80,000 pounds. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Truck," 16 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

According to the official, the operation went off without a hitch. — Joshua Goodman, The Seattle Times, "After 7 long years, Assange’s capture happened quickly," 16 Apr. 2019 The workplace-messaging company is set to follow Spotify Technology SA in debuting on the NYSE through a direct listing, according to people familiar with the matter, after the music streamer’s listing last year went off without a major hitch. ... — Maureen Farrell, WSJ, "Slack Chooses NYSE for Direct Listing," 1 Apr. 2019 Williams’s inaugural campaign went off without hitch in ‘14–15, filling an adequate off-ball role on the wing as a sophomore in Trent Johnson’s scheme. — Jake Fischer, SI.com, "Kenrich Williams and the NBA Draft's Most Interesting Haircut," 20 June 2018 Another hitch came last year when Mr. Trump upended a decades-old tradition by not hosting a gathering for iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan. — Catie Edmondson, New York Times, "On Islam, Trump Takes a Different Approach at Home and Abroad," 13 June 2018 Bed bugs most notoriously hitch rides on luggage, but traveling isn't the only way to pick them up. — The Good Housekeeping Institute, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know to Get Rid of Bed Bugs," 8 May 2018 The knot to use is known by various names, the most common being the trucker’s hitch. — Andrew Northshield, Popular Mechanics, "How to Tie a Christmas Tree to the Roof of Your Car," 2 Dec. 2018 Photo: Vanessa Berberian for The Wall Street Journal The project was well underway when they were hit by an entirely unforeseen hitch. — Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, "Building a Home Over the Office to Achieve Work-Life Balance," 20 Nov. 2018 If not for a few hitches in his timed pit stop, Harvick clearly had the top-end speed to challenge for Saturday's victory. — Brendan Marks, charlotteobserver, "Three things to watch for – and one unknown – in Saturday's NASCAR All-Star Race | Charlotte Observer," 18 May 2018

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

20 May 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