hijacks

variants also highjacks
present tense third-person singular of hijack
as in commandeers
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 hijacks As money hijacks morality and democracy begins to look like a hoax, Tresnjak’s Broadway-caliber staging contrasts garish spectacle with piercingly intimate scenes between Claire and Anton. Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The moment a search tool is triggered in our chat, this layout template completely hijacks my output sequence. New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 Palace’s offer for the 22-year-old, a loan with a conditional obligation to buy for a fee in the region of €30million (£25m), hijacks Premier League rivals Aston Villa’s attempts to sign the centre-back. Aston Villa, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 After the high-speed chase erupts into gunfire and a brutal fistfight, Kim hijacks the vehicle, takes the official hostage and speeds off a bridge into the water below. Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Kara changes her tune when Krem hijacks Kara’s ship and shoots Krypto with a poison dart. Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 July 2026 Tired of living in Cinderella’s shadow, Lilith steals the Fairy Godmother’s (Bette Midler) magic wand and hijacks the Royal Ball with her sister, Margot (Stephanie Hsu). Kevin Giraud, Variety, 23 June 2026 In the final cut, Mabel accidentally stumbles upon research being done by her biology professor (Kathy Najimy), discovers the technology, and hijacks a robot beaver. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026 By feeding a stodgy institutional figure like Powell into the AI-meme deluge, the internet hijacks the Federal Reserve’s image and accelerates it past the point of professional control. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacks
Verb
  • Out-of-control AI escapes human oversight, commandeers vital infrastructure and kills millions of people or even all of humanity.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • After he’s randomly slapped by multiple women, Barney commandeers Ted and Marshall’s March Madness bracket to figure out which of his past conquests is sabotaging his love life.
    Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Wilson, meanwhile, seizes on the opening to play teacher’s pet.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Obreht is a writer who doesn’t rush into easy patterns of storytelling but seizes control from the jump.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hijacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacks. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster