variants
also highjack
as in to commandeer
to take control of (a vehicle) by force
some loser tried to hijack the plane with a toy gun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hijack
There, Pasolini was run over multiple times by the hustler who hijacked his car, allegedly crushing the filmmaker’s testicles with a metal bar in the process.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
In fact, because hijacking passenger planes was common in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amended their safety regulations in 1972 and started requiring large passenger aircraft exits to be designed so that they can’t be opened during flight.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2025
Once inside, the hackers installed malware and hijacked legitimate processes and programs to maintain control.
—Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2025
Other times, though, a legitimate journal can be hijacked.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hijack
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
In fact, because hijacking passenger planes was common in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amended their safety regulations in 1972 and started requiring large passenger aircraft exits to be designed so that they can’t be opened during flight.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2025
Once inside, the hackers installed malware and hijacked legitimate processes and programs to maintain control.
—Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2025
Other times, though, a legitimate journal can be hijacked.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hijack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijack
commandeer
Verb
-
Veteran apartment gropers know enough to commandeer every working telephone booth in the area using friends who listen to dial tones and weather reports for an hour before the newspapers arrive.—
Nicholas Pileggi,
Curbed,
15 Aug. 2025
-
And in 1995, a former soldier commandeered a tank in San Diego, leading police of a destructive, city-wide chase.—
Dell Cameron,
Wired News,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hijack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijack. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share