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hijack

verb

ˈhī-ˌjak How to pronounce hijack (audio)
variants also highjack
Definition of hijacknext
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 Morgan was a young airbus pilot for United when terrorists hijacked four planes and used them to attack the United States. — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2026 Cybersecurity firm Calif used AI to build a proof-of-concept worm that could hijack WeChat accounts and spread through users' contacts. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026 Three of the four planes hijacked in the attacks were bound for Los Angeles. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026 The terrorists hijacked four jets, flying two — aiming one at each of the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York City — and one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. — Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hijack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijack
  1. commandeer
  2. seize
Verb
  • In the course of three weeks, Israeli soldiers destroyed much of the area, razing schools and mosques and commandeering buildings for use as military posts.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Curious Londoners stopped to figure out why a marching band, a blue bird and a few hundred Americans had suddenly commandeered a stretch of Oxford Street.
    — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of commandeer
Verb
  • Weapons and drugs were seized after an investigation led to two search warrants in the City of Wyoming in late August.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The civil war dates back to 2014, when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of seize

Browse Nearby Words

highways
hijack
hijacked
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Cite this Entry

“Hijack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijack. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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