variants
also highjacked
as in commandeered
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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Recent Examples of hijacked
The flick takes place at Gooding’s character’s bachelor party, which gets hijacked once Hart enters the picture.
—
Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
In 1970, Mimi was on Trans World Airlines Flight 741 when it got rerouted from Tel Aviv to to Jordan after it was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
The institutions that are supposed to solve collective action problems have been hijacked or subverted.
—Sarah Jeong, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
Advertisement The stories of the extremists who hijacked the 1970s demonstrate quite clearly that terrorism is never simply a product of state sponsorship or a case of individuals being mad, bad or misled.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
The Republican Party, as an institution, weakened over time, until it could be hijacked by an aspiring dictator.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2026
Even so, it has been suggested that the plane was hijacked and flown to Russia, or the US airbase on the island of Diego Garcia; others have said it could have been shot down.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 22 Feb. 2026
That loophole was hijacked by the industry, and it was used to add thousands upon thousands of new ingredients into our food supply.
—Sarah Koch, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Love tried to explain the feeling, but Bryant hijacked his moment once again.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
In 1970, Mimi was on Trans World Airlines Flight 741 when it got rerouted from Tel Aviv to to Jordan after it was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
The institutions that are supposed to solve collective action problems have been hijacked or subverted.
—Sarah Jeong, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
Advertisement The stories of the extremists who hijacked the 1970s demonstrate quite clearly that terrorism is never simply a product of state sponsorship or a case of individuals being mad, bad or misled.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
The Republican Party, as an institution, weakened over time, until it could be hijacked by an aspiring dictator.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2026
Even so, it has been suggested that the plane was hijacked and flown to Russia, or the US airbase on the island of Diego Garcia; others have said it could have been shot down.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 22 Feb. 2026
That loophole was hijacked by the industry, and it was used to add thousands upon thousands of new ingredients into our food supply.
—Sarah Koch, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Love tried to explain the feeling, but Bryant hijacked his moment once again.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacked
Verb
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Elsewhere, on the corner of Broadway and Fourth streets, Mero has commandeered a once historic building that’s been burned and left to rot.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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The singer/songwriter/producer who has commandeered the charts for decades with more than 30 Top 40 pop and adult contemporary hits can easily zigzag topics, whether music past and current, shaking a martini, or applying moisturizer.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Agents also seized about $80,000 in cash, six firearms and additional quantities of narcotics during arrests carried out Thursday morning.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Government agencies commonly seized land from Black and Latino property owners to expand cities and build infrastructure.—
Ara Rosenthal,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hijacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacked. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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