hijackings

noun

variants also highjackings
plural of hijacking
as in kidnappings
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal a country in which hijackings of foreign executives has become commonplace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijackings
  1. kidnappings
  2. abductions
  3. rapes
Noun
  • In 2025, 1,268 kidnappings were reported, a nearly 40% drop from the 2,058 kidnapping reported the previous year, the report stated.
    — Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
  • In the '30s, when the Lindbergh baby was abducted, kidnappings and ransoms were so common that high-profile people often secured kidnapping insurance.
    — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of kidnappings
Noun
  • Evidence recovered from Evonitz’s apartment, former residences and vehicle linked him to the abductions and murders of three girls from Spotsylvania County, Virginia — Sofia Silva, 16; Kristin Lisk, 15; and her sister, Kati Lisk, 12.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Zamfara has seen a surge in killings and abductions in recent months.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of abductions
Noun
  • In DeKalb, homicides went up from 16 to 18, and rapes increased from 35 to 46.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The office cautioned that the actual number of rapes are likely higher due because many cases go unreported by the victims due to fear of reprisal and stigmatization.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of rapes
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.

Browse Nearby Words

hijacking
hijackings
hijacks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hijackings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijackings. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All