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
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
There, he gradually gets caught up in the criminal underworld that hijacked the country’s privatization following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
The defense has argued that the plot to arrest Moïse was ultimately hijacked and he was killed by his own security forces, not the Colombian commandos hired by CTU’s partners.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Sometime around 2010, sophisticated malware known as Flame hijacked the mechanism that Microsoft used to distribute updates to millions of Windows computers around the world.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2026
Carl says, in a confessional, that the conversation didn’t go anywhere and Kyle just hijacked it by complaining about his life.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2026
However, a hacker hijacked the account of Axios' lead developer and quietly introduced two malicious software versions on Monday night, according to cybersecurity vendor StepSecurity.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
In 1976, with dictator Idi Amin aggressively opposing Israel, four terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 on its way from Tel Aviv to France.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
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
There, he gradually gets caught up in the criminal underworld that hijacked the country’s privatization following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
The defense has argued that the plot to arrest Moïse was ultimately hijacked and he was killed by his own security forces, not the Colombian commandos hired by CTU’s partners.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Sometime around 2010, sophisticated malware known as Flame hijacked the mechanism that Microsoft used to distribute updates to millions of Windows computers around the world.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2026
Carl says, in a confessional, that the conversation didn’t go anywhere and Kyle just hijacked it by complaining about his life.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2026
However, a hacker hijacked the account of Axios' lead developer and quietly introduced two malicious software versions on Monday night, according to cybersecurity vendor StepSecurity.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
In 1976, with dictator Idi Amin aggressively opposing Israel, four terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 on its way from Tel Aviv to France.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacked
Verb
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Based on a viral short film, the movie features Martin Freeman and Susie Porter as a couple who have commandeered a houseboat to evade hordes of rapacious undead.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
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After being commandeered into a hospital during World War I, the hotel was purchased in 1957 by Jeanne Augier, who restored the property’s former glory—and then some.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Edward Burke — then seized control of City Council and approved a new lineup of committee chairs and leaders.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Police stormed the gallery and seized two canvases—The Naked Man, depicting a nude youth gripping a monstrous phallus, and The Big Night Down the Drain, showing a Hitler-like figure masturbating.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hijacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacked. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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