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

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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 When the robbery soured, Hill and Alexander raced from the store and hijacked the UPS truck driven by Ordóñez - with the driver still in it. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025 Arch rivals Arsenal swept in at the last minute and hijacked the deal. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025 As Russia held its Victory Day parade this year, hackers backing the Kremlin hijacked an orbiting satellite that provides television service to Ukraine. Dave Smith, Fortune, 18 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 See All Example Sentences for hijack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijack
commandeer
Verb
  • In 2021, hackers commandeered 150,000 remote cameras, including in schools, police departments, jails and health clinics.
    Srinivas Shekar, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • This new system, to which Aston is the first automaker to subscribe, allows one’s phone to commandeer not just the center display but the dashboard.
    Brett Berk, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hijack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijack. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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