hijacking 1 of 2

variants also highjacking
as in kidnaping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal a country in which hijackings of foreign executives has become commonplace

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hijacking

2 of 2

verb

variants also highjacking
present participle of hijack
as in commandeering
to take control of (a vehicle) by force some loser tried to hijack the plane with a toy gun

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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 hijacking
Noun
The hijacking of the sport and the community institutions that built it, by noxious forces using it for their own means. Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025 This prevents session hijacking if the system keeps tokens cached. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2025 Adopt phishing-resistant methods to prevent hijacking. Austin Gadient, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 The gang runs a lucrative side business hijacking trucks of electronic devices — in this case, combination DVD/VHS players. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025 One chain, used in attacks targeting a specific organization, executed a malicious DLL file hidden in an archive using a method known as COM hijacking that caused it to be executed by certain apps such as Microsoft Edge. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
This constant barrage overshadows the self-care experience, hijacking my focus and frankly, tiring me out. Caelan McMichael, Allure, 7 Oct. 2025 These devices emit bursts of electromagnetic energy across multiple bands, effectively blinding or hijacking most standard FPV drones that depend on Wi-Fi or radio. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025 The hacker’s malware focuses on stealing cryptocurrency by hijacking and manipulating the user's browser. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025 In fact, because hijacking passenger planes was common in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amended their safety regulations in 1972 and started requiring large passenger aircraft exits to be designed so that they can’t be opened during flight. Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2025 Scammers can intercept security codes and log in to your account by hijacking your phone number or infecting your device. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacking
Verb
  • His obsession with the numbers results in Thiel turning South Park into a surveillance state and commandeering all the students’ data to compile a list of cultists.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Now, Samsung is commandeering some of the screens already set up in homes to display ads.
    Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Hamas later released footage of his kidnapping.
    Itay Stern, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
  • These tendencies are most consequential in the kidnapping scene, a gnarled set piece that, in its planning and execution, seems to defy even dream logic.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The incidents highlight the contortions of the Taliban four years after seizing power of Afghanistan.
    NPR, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Polymarket for its part has drawn in younger users with a better platform and by seizing upon the pandemic-era gambling trend especially prevalent in Gen Z men—not to mention with a little help from a newly friendly regulatory environment.
    Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Worked at the family’s bakery before his abduction and was studying finance.
    Michael Collins, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Yosef-Haim Ohana Yosef grew up in Kiryat Malachi in southern Israel, and traveled across the country for work before his abduction at the Nova Festival.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hijacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacking. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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