hitchhike

verb

hitch·hike | \ ˈhich-ˌhīk

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

Other Words from hitchhike Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hitchhike

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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

Despite heavy quarantines across 14 Pennsylvania counties, the insect is on the move, hitchhiking on vehicles and luggage, and parasailing by swarm on breezes, sometimes showing up in vineyards by the thousands. — Claire Marie Porter, WIRED, "This Voracious, Unstoppable Bug Is Killing Off Vineyards," 2 Aug. 2019 One day in the spring of 1968, Dennis Wilson picked up two women hitchhiking on Sunset Boulevard. — Randall Roberts, chicagotribune.com, "A guide to Charles Manson-related music ahead of ‘Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood’ opening," 25 July 2019 One day in the spring of 1968, Dennis Wilson picked up two women hitchhiking on Sunset Boulevard. — Randall Robertsstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "A guide to Charles Manson-related music ahead of ‘Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood’ opening," 24 July 2019 And the conversation is only going to get more heated as the quest to put astronauts, and their trillions of hitchhiking microbes, on the Martian surface edges from sci-fi dream to reality. — Mike Wall, Scientific American, "Silica Blankets Could Make Mars Habitable," 15 July 2019 Dozens of mussel species living in both fresh and saltwater are a huge nuisance, known for stubbornly sticking to rocks, piers and boats and hitchhiking their way to new locales. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Mussels’ Sticky Threads Could Inspire Ways to Clean Up Oil Spills, Purify Water and More," 13 July 2019 Like other non-native species, authorities say iguanas brought to Florida as pets or hitchhiking on ships have begun to flourish in the state. — Curt Anderson, orlandosentinel.com, "State declares open season on pesky South Florida iguanas," 3 July 2019 Mold might also one day threaten other parts of the solar system—with hitchhiking mold spores from Earth. — Richard A. Lovett, Science | AAAS, "Space station mold survives 200 times the radiation dose that would kill a human," 28 June 2019 Diop's dream wound through the hot streets of Senegal, hitchhiked on her lonely plane ride across the Atlantic, persisted among strangers in a foreign land speaking an unfamiliar tongue in unfamiliar gyms. — Danielle Lerner, The Courier-Journal, "How Yacine Diop's long journey to play for Louisville basketball began in Senegal," 28 June 2019

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.