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hitchhike

verb
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hitch·​hike | \ ˈhich-ˌhīk How to pronounce hitchhike (audio) \
hitchhiked; hitchhiking; hitchhikes

Definition of hitchhike

intransitive verb

1 : to travel by securing free rides from passing vehicles
2 : to be carried or transported by chance or unintentionally destructive insects hitchhiking on ships

transitive verb

: to solicit and obtain (a free ride) especially in a passing vehicle
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Other Words from hitchhike

hitchhiker noun

Synonyms for hitchhike

Synonyms

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Examples of hitchhike in a Sentence

Her car broke down, so she had to hitchhike back home. He hitchhiked his way across the country last summer.
Recent Examples on the Web But one obvious concern is that the coronavirus will hitchhike into these areas along with the cottagers. — Ian Austen, New York Times, "What Coronavirus Means for Going to the Lake," 15 May 2020 Clay Bennett, the political cartoonist for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, recently rendered the Grim Reaper hitchhiking its way to a reopening Georgia. — Washington Post, "The Grim Reaper shows up often in pandemic cartoons — whether to provoke or provide dark humor," 6 May 2020 In April 1992, McCandless hitchhiked to Alaska, where a man dropped him off at the head of the Stampede Trail, according to the book. — Alicia Lee And Pierre Meilhan, CNN, "Five hikers rescued on their way back from 'Into the Wild' bus in Alaska," 24 Feb. 2020 Despentes was seventeen years old, hitchhiking with a friend. — Nadja Spiegelman, The New York Review of Books, "As Clean as Rage," 8 Apr. 2020 The road trip features ride share boards (remember those?), hitchhiking, and plenty of awkward situations in very close quarters. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Road Trip Movies," 25 Mar. 2020 Assistance: Savage Road After a man was observed hitchhiking at 5:06 p.m. Jan. 6, an officer gave him a ride to pick up his vehicle. — Joan Rusek, cleveland, "Trespasser drops phone in woman’s back yard: Bainbridge Township Police Blotter," 13 Jan. 2020 Back then, as most vehicular traffic ground to a halt, Cubans rode bicycles, walked, or hitchhiked to get to their destinations. — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, "In Its Fight with Venezuela, the Trump Administration Takes Aim at Cuba," 10 Oct. 2019 He was determined, hitchhiking to St. Lawrence as a teen and convincing the dean to approve a student loan. — Dallas News, "Kirk Douglas, longtime influential movie star, dies at 103," 6 Feb. 2020

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

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First Known Use of hitchhike

1923, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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Time Traveler for hitchhike

Time Traveler

The first known use of hitchhike was in 1923

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Statistics for hitchhike

Last Updated

21 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Hitchhike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hitchhike. Accessed 29 May. 2020.

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More Definitions for hitchhike

hitchhike

verb
How to pronounce hitchhike (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of hitchhike

: to get a ride in a passing vehicle by holding out your arm with your thumb up as you stand on the side of the road

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

hitchhike

verb
hitch·​hike | \ ˈhich-ˌhīk How to pronounce hitchhike (audio) \
hitchhiked; hitchhiking

Kids Definition of hitchhike

: to travel by getting free rides in passing vehicles

Other Words from hitchhike

hitchhiker noun

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More from Merriam-Webster on hitchhike

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hitchhike

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with hitchhike

Spanish Central: Translation of hitchhike

Nglish: Translation of hitchhike for Spanish Speakers

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