hijacked

variants also highjacked
past tense of hijack
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

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 hijacked After proving his roster worth early on as a rookie, a shoulder injury hijacked his growth. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026 According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, the ship was hijacked by seven armed Somali pirates. Omar Faruk, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 The plane had been hijacked en route from Tel Aviv to Paris and diverted to Entebbe. Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 13 July 2026 Cox was a high-profile supporter of the campaign to stay in the European Union and to keep the debate from being hijacked by immigration. Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 11 July 2026 A number of digital technologies have hijacked attention and made focused reading all but impossible. Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 When they can be hijacked by outsiders, parties are not able to do the work of selecting candidates, of building consensus, of doing the work of democratic persuasion. Nicholas Jacobs, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 For more on how attackers can abuse connected devices, see our report on how the FBI warned that more than 1 million Android devices were hijacked by malware. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 The cruelest dimension of this is that a Christianity hijacked by the evangelical right now seeks to sanctify that mythology in the name of God. Otis Moss Iii, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacked
Verb
  • The Loa River was commandeered in its entirety, source to mouth.
    Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
  • Both the Russian and Chinese governments have been compromising routers for years, sometimes in prolonged tugs-of-war to wrest control of devices the other has already commandeered.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • The national retailers who seized the opportunity, in turn, helped make the neighborhood still more attractive to affluent newcomers and investors.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
  • Tom Slingsby took the bull by the horns and seized an early lead to take a vital victory in Australia’s first heat.
    Andrew Rice, New York Times, 26 July 2026

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“Hijacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacked. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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