hijacking 1 of 2

variants also highjacking
as in kidnaping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal a country in which hijackings of foreign executives has become commonplace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

hijacking

2 of 2

verb

variants also highjacking
present participle of hijack
as in commandeering
to take control of (a vehicle) by force some loser tried to hijack the plane with a toy gun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacking
Verb
  • View 3 Images By commandeering smart thermostats and water heaters and sipping power from in-home EV chargers, virtual power plants are being formed across the country.
    Michael Franco, New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
  • She was accused of commandeering a car owned by a neighbor and former friend and then driving it into the woman, according to court papers.
    Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Pretending to be dead, Gi-hun and his friends launch a surprise attack, overpowering the guards and seizing their weapons, leaving only one guard alive.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
  • The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) forces have since received training by Russian forces in the Far East and first engaged in combat with Ukrainian military in November, subsequently seizing their first village in Kursk, Plekhovo, earlier this month.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine, as well as five other officials.
    Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
  • The false premise that mass deportation would only target those already with an undocumented status has helped grease the wheels for sweeping abductions of individuals and families who have been living peacefully and working hard in communities across the country.
    Karen Tumlin, Time, 6 May 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hijacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacking. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on hijacking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!