hitch

verb

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\ 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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Synonyms for hitch

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

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 Nearly 11 million people submitted their names to hitch a ride with Perseverance on silicon chips. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "The joy of celebrating a rover landing on Mars," 19 Feb. 2021 For almost a decade after the final Space Shuttle flight in 2011, Americans had to hitch a ride to the International Space Station on Russian craft. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Year in Space Travel," 21 Dec. 2020 On the left flank was the coronavirus, whose spike proteins would be delighted to hitch a ride on your popcorn. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "The Movies That Mattered in 2020," 24 Dec. 2020 The boxed donations hitch a ride under the Denton Act, a Department of Defense program under which NGOs can request the movement of humanitarian supplies by military transport. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Another Holiday Season, Another Successful Operation Christmas Drop," 23 Dec. 2020 Since the space shuttle program shut down in 2011, the U.S. has had to hitch a ride on Russian Soyuz rockets until the successful SpaceX launches began this year. — Jerry Dunleavy, Washington Examiner, "China lands unmanned spacecraft on moon in bid to become third nation to bring lunar samples back to Earth," 1 Dec. 2020 When the Dolphins season is over Sieler will hitch his RV to the back of his truck and take it up Interstate 95 to join his crew as a hunting and fishing guide. — Omar Kelly, sun-sentinel.com, "Dolphins’ Zach Seiler plans to continue living in his RV after signing contract extension," 16 Nov. 2020 By stripping the Roadless Rule, the Trump administration threatens to sever the threads that hitch everything together in the land of salmon in the trees. — Amy Gulick, The New Republic, "The Majestic Alaskan Rain Forest in Trump’s Crosshairs," 5 Nov. 2020 Another malicious force to hitch themselves as a means to exploit and enrich themselves. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "Consider the Bootlicker," 9 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Thankfully, despite the pressure of performing in front of millions of fans watching at home, Church pulled things off without a hitch. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "Luke Bryan Texted Eric Church After His Incredible National Anthem Performance at Super Bowl LV," 22 Feb. 2021 After watching the swine-flu vaccination go off without a hitch, security staff and people detained in city jails alike lined up to receive the shot. — Rebecca Mccray, Curbed, "Giving Vaccines to Prisoners Won’t Be Enough to Get Them Vaccinated," 12 Feb. 2021 While things seemingly went off without a hitch, the Grammy-winning artist still grabbed lots of social media attention. — Vritti Rashi Goel, CBS News, "The Weeknd's Super Bowl halftime performance sparked lots of memes," 9 Feb. 2021 Some seniors were already receiving vaccines or scheduling appointments in other parts of the state without a hitch. — oregonlive, "Oregon lacks targeted plan to ensure vulnerable seniors vaccinated amid expected ‘chaos,’ advocates say," 6 Feb. 2021 Solo drivers will appreciate the addition of the Cargo Bed View feature that allows the driver to zoom in on either the hitch or the bed itself to assist in hooking up a traditional trailer or fifth-wheel trailer without a spotter. — Maxwell B. Mortimer, Car and Driver, "2021 GMC Sierra Pickup Trucks Feature Tech-Based Towing Aids," 15 Sep. 2020 The man left in a black Ford F-150 pickup truck with a cargo carrier on the hitch. — Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, "Man suspected of taking photos under woman’s skirt at Meijer; reward offered for info," 13 Aug. 2020 Instead, Biden’s inauguration went off without a hitch and the former president took off for the last time from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. — Erin Corbett, refinery29.com, "QAnon’s Big Inauguration Day Theory Was Proven Wrong. What Comes Next For The Group?," 22 Jan. 2021 The ceremony went off without a hitch but there were plenty of key takeaways from the historic moment. — Deirdre Shesgreen, USA TODAY, "Joe Biden's inauguration: GOP lawmakers who challenged his victory show up and other key takeaways," 20 Jan. 2021

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

27 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Hitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hitch. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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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

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