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 Eventually, the larvae hijack the host’s brain, turning the caterpillar into their slave. Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025 Strong antivirus software can block fake AI downloads, phishing attempts and malware that hackers use to hijack your devices or train rogue AI models. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025 As much as Lugosi’s impact hijacked Stoker and will always be the visual shorthand for Dracula, there has continued to be room for Anne Rice, Blade, and even Stephenie Meyer’s sparkling vampire Edward Cullen. Robert Eggers, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 This means that the same process that helps the immune system locate dead cells can also, in some cases, be hijacked by viruses to infect new cells. New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hijack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijack
commandeer
Verb
  • Some hosts might not like someone else commandeering the centerpiece of the meal.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Under the cover of night, a flotilla of boats, some of them commandeered from local fishermen, tried to cross the Dnipro and land on the embankment near the plant, according to three Ukrainian military officers involved in the planning and execution of the assault.
    Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hijack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijack. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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