hitchhike
verb
\
Definition of hitchhike
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
: to solicit and obtain (a free ride) especially in a passing vehicle
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of hitchhike in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The former Pro Bowl tight end is accused of kidnapping and raping a 54-year-old transient woman who was hitchhiking in March. — A.j. Perez, USA TODAY, "Could Kellen Winslow Jr.'s lawyers use CTE as a defense in sex-crimes case?," 15 June 2018 Then there was Hitchbot, a talking robot made by Canadian researchers for a project to hitchhike around two continents. — Hiawatha Bray, BostonGlobe.com, "Afraid of robots? The feeling is mutual," 20 June 2018 And liquid water, with a good mix of minerals, is an ideal travelodge for hitchhiking bacteria. — Jamie Seidel, Fox News, "Wild new alien theory emerges," 28 June 2018 On North Pender Island, where our trip would start and end, hitchhiking is still a common and accepted way of getting around. — Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, "An Unmissable Outdoor Adventure in Canada’s Gulf Islands," 21 June 2018 Ricky and Keith had been in Europe for a while hitchhiking and bumming around. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE.com, "The B-52s at 40: An Oral History of Their Awesomely Bizarre Beach Party Breakthrough 'Rock Lobster'," 29 May 2018 This year’s list includes a rare great ape, a hitchhiking beetle, an extinct omnivorous marsupial lion and many species that are critically endangered. — Sean Greene, latimes.com, "A rare great ape, a 130-foot-tall tree and an extinct marsupial lion make the Top 10 New Species list for 2018," 23 May 2018 The 2011 east Japan tsunami swept huge amounts of wreckage out to sea—and Japanese species hitchhiked across the Pacific on the debris. — Christopher Intagliata, Scientific American, "Tsunami Sent Species on a Transoceanic Trip," 28 Sep. 2017 The insects are not the only things that can hitchhike to other communities. — Julia Terruso, Philly.com, "Why Philly is a particularly bad place to get bedbugs," 5 July 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about hitchhike
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
7 Uncommonly Doubled Letters
7 Uncommonly Doubled Letters
For word games and other shenanigans
Dictionary Entries near hitchhike
Statistics for hitchhike
Last Updated
9 Oct 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for hitchhike
The first known use of hitchhike was in 1923
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for hitchhike
hitchhike
verb
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
\
Kids Definition of hitchhike
: to travel by getting free rides in passing vehicles
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on hitchhike
What made you want to look up hitchhike? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
-
- Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
A mythological/etymological mashup!
Take the quiz -
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
Citation
Do you know the person or title these quotes describe?
Play the game
Share hitchhike
Resources for hitchhike