hitchhike

verb hitch·hike \ ˈhich-ˌhīk \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Examples: hitchhike in a Sentence

Definition of hitchhike

hitchhiked; hitchhiking; hitchhikes

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

—

hitchhiker

noun

See hitchhike defined for English-language learners

See hitchhike defined for kids

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 of hitchhike from the Web

Over the past few summers, Women in Preservation volunteers have built 25 Aldo Leopold-type wood benches; boot brushes to eliminate hitchhiking invasive seeds; bat boxes; a Green Bay Wildlife Refuge sign; and a visitor’s kiosk.

— meg jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Women in Preservation teaches construction skills on Door County's Plum Island," 7 June 2018
The video follows the two as young lovers running away together, hitchhiking, dealing with creepy truckers and eventually making out on the side of the road.

— stephen daw, Billboard, "Hayley Kiyoko & Kehlani Run Off Into the Sunset Together in Epic 'What I Need' Video," 31 May 2018
Beyma also told the paper that a witness reported that a girl who may have been Kimberly was hitchhiking on Gratiot the evening of the disappearance and that she was dropped off at a White Castle restaurant.

— aleanna siacon, Detroit Free Press, "Kimberly King case could be tied to Macomb Township dig for remains," 8 May 2018
Rather than originating here, for instance, could life have hitchhiked in after forming elsewhere in the galaxy?

— lee billings, Scientific American, "Astronomers Spot Potential "Interstellar" Asteroid Orbiting Backward around the Sun," 21 May 2018
That’s like the kid who takes a year off after high school to hitchhike across Chile before heading to college.

— Houston Chronicle, "Last year’s tax overhaul makes 2018 a great year to die," 2 Apr. 2018
Its descendants have since spread widely, hitchhiking with stowaway amphibians in cargo and others shipped for the pet trade.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Solved: the mysterious origin of the world’s most devastating wildlife disease," 10 May 2018
Failure to thoroughly remove plant debris from boats and trailers can allow parrot feather to hitchhike to new locations.

— detroit free press staff, Detroit Free Press, "Watch out for parrot feathers on Michigan waterways," 8 May 2018
Hitchhiker killings Kim Wendy Allen, a 19-year-old student at Santa Rosa Junior College, was one of seven women slain while hitchhiking along highways around Santa Rosa in the early 1970s.

— katie dowd, San Francisco Chronicle, "10 Bay Area cold cases that remain unsolved," 29 Apr. 2018

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.

First Known Use of hitchhike

1923

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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hitchhike Synonyms

Synonyms

hitch, thumb;

Related Words

bum;

stow away;

HITCHHIKE Defined for English Language Learners

hitchhike

verb

Definition of hitchhike for English Language Learners

: 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

HITCHHIKE Defined for Kids

hitchhike

verb hitch·hike \ ˈhich-ˌhīk \

Definition of hitchhike for Students

hitchhiked; hitchhiking

: to travel by getting free rides in passing vehicles

—

hitchhiker

noun

Learn More about hitchhike

See words that rhyme with hitchhike Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hitchhike Spanish Central: Translation of hitchhike Nglish: Translation of hitchhike for Spanish speakers

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hitchhike

Definition of hitchhike

hitchhiker

Examples of hitchhike in a Sentence

Recent Examples of hitchhike from the Web

First Known Use of hitchhike

hitchhike Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

HITCHHIKE Defined for English Language Learners

hitchhike

Definition of hitchhike for English Language Learners

HITCHHIKE Defined for Kids

hitchhike

Definition of hitchhike for Students

hitchhiker

Learn More about hitchhike

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