hitchhike

verb

hitch·​hike ˈhich-ˌhīk 

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

Synonyms of hitchhike

• hitch

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

After his discharge from the air force, Cormac McCarthy had hitchhiked around the country for a few months. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

Weeks later, George and Louise hitchhiked 10 miles to the station; Louise’s husband had taken the car to work. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

One man recounts hitchhiking four miles a day to a bakery to save 20 cents on a bag of bread for his family. — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026

By hitchhiking on a passing virus, transposons can defy species boundaries and land in a totally new evolutionary setting. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for hitchhike

• alike
• belike
• birdlike
• catlike
• childlike
• christlike
• deathlike
• dislike
• dreamlike
• friedreich
• godlike
• hairlike

Kids Definition

hitchhike

verb

hitch·​hike ˈhich-ˌhīk 

: to travel by securing free rides from passing vehicles

hitchhiker noun