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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hijacked
Malicious versions of the package were briefly distributed through the npm registry after a maintainer account was hijacked.
—
Aqsa Taylor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
The sponsors of House Bill 1430 boldly admit that our transportation taxes have been hijacked to pay for education and health care, and that taking those funds out of the legislature’s cookie jar will create shortfalls.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
Critics say event ‘hijacked’ by Christian nationalism Critics say Rededicate 250 is shaping up to promote Christian nationalism — whose adherents typically believe that the United States was founded as and should be a Christian nation.
—Peter Smith, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The Celeste team argues that large, heavy drones pose a serious cybersecurity risk, as they could be hijacked and used for harm by malicious hackers.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026
The Ducks were on their way to killing it off when Dorofeyev hijacked a potentially easy clear by Chris Kreider.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Minnesota's Target Center turned into a political stage Saturday night as the Minnesota Lynx home opener against the Atlanta Dream was hijacked by a fan shouting anti-ICE sentiments.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Drivers in New York pay a $9 fee to drive into Manhattan to get mugged, have their cars hijacked, or both.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 May 2026
In 1985, the luggage, Roussos, and some 150 others on TWA’s Flight 847 from Athens to Rome were hijacked by terrorists, leading to a 17-day crisis and lending the bags’ auction all these years later a certain frisson, at least in the Greek press.
—George Kalogerakis, Air Mail, 2 May 2026
Aqsa Taylor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
The sponsors of House Bill 1430 boldly admit that our transportation taxes have been hijacked to pay for education and health care, and that taking those funds out of the legislature’s cookie jar will create shortfalls.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
Critics say event ‘hijacked’ by Christian nationalism Critics say Rededicate 250 is shaping up to promote Christian nationalism — whose adherents typically believe that the United States was founded as and should be a Christian nation.
—Peter Smith, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The Celeste team argues that large, heavy drones pose a serious cybersecurity risk, as they could be hijacked and used for harm by malicious hackers.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026
The Ducks were on their way to killing it off when Dorofeyev hijacked a potentially easy clear by Chris Kreider.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Minnesota's Target Center turned into a political stage Saturday night as the Minnesota Lynx home opener against the Atlanta Dream was hijacked by a fan shouting anti-ICE sentiments.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Drivers in New York pay a $9 fee to drive into Manhattan to get mugged, have their cars hijacked, or both.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 May 2026
In 1985, the luggage, Roussos, and some 150 others on TWA’s Flight 847 from Athens to Rome were hijacked by terrorists, leading to a 17-day crisis and lending the bags’ auction all these years later a certain frisson, at least in the Greek press.
—George Kalogerakis, Air Mail, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacked
Verb
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Antwaun Sargent commandeered the Gagosian booth, which has a pleasantly group show-y feel, with a nice moment featuring a Theaster Gates sculpture flanked by a Stanley Whitney painting and a Tyler Mitchell photograph.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
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Magyar commandeered a political party called Tisza.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Verb
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The tension spilled into election issues, including accusations that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized ballots in a voter‑fraud investigation, now at the center of a legal fight with the state attorney general.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Photograph courtesy Jennifer Hulse Israel seized control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank during the Six-Day War, in 1967.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hijacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacked. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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