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
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Recent Examples of hijack
With hostility to vaccines on the rise, the risk exists that VAERS will be increasingly hijacked for political or ideological purposes, experts say, turning what was designed as a way for epidemiologists to look for problems with vaccines into a tool for misinformation.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
For over a decade, Black women online have been warning that our social media platforms are easily hijacked by bad actors looking to sow chaos, division, and confusion.
—Essence, 17 Dec. 2025
Transnational justice can be hijacked, with aggressors trying to portray themselves as victims.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
An ambulance ride turned into a deadly crime spree after the patient hijacked the vehicle, crashed it into a car, then killed the other driver, according to investigators in southeastern North Carolina.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hijack
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
For over a decade, Black women online have been warning that our social media platforms are easily hijacked by bad actors looking to sow chaos, division, and confusion.
—Essence, 17 Dec. 2025
Transnational justice can be hijacked, with aggressors trying to portray themselves as victims.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
An ambulance ride turned into a deadly crime spree after the patient hijacked the vehicle, crashed it into a car, then killed the other driver, according to investigators in southeastern North Carolina.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hijack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijack
Verb
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The mere possibility that a private operator could commandeer public assets — paid for by Orange County taxpayers — while forcing us to foot the bill for their overhead is a breathtaking example of government overreach.—
Dick Batchelor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
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In the middle of the stuffy reception, Jenny commandeers the A/V system, blasting punk rock while a squad of models, clad in her early-aughts emo designs, climb on tables.—
Matthew Huff,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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On Iowa State’s next possession, TCU senior safety Bud Clark came up with a massive interception right before the two-minute timeout, giving TCU a great opportunity to seize control of the game with the Horned Frogs getting the ball at halftime.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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Pokrovsk would be the largest city Russia has seized since Bakhmut in May 2023.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hijack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijack. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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