hijacking 1 of 2

noun

variants also highjacking
as in kidnapping
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

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
But, at some level, these campaigns also seem a response to the right-wing evangelical hijacking of the Gospel message. — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 Despite the taboo, Pan Am spent the 1980s running its own reassurance campaign amid a wave of hijacking and bombing threats against transatlantic flights, insisting on its own safety and security even as the threats mounted. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 The attacks have occurred increasingly far from Somalia’s coastline, including the hijacking of the Eureka while anchored off Yemen and the Asana about 65 nautical miles southwest of Al-Mukalla. — Omar Faruk, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026 But the border is only one issue that Velis, a traditional Democrat, is taking on the DSA in a state where leading Democrats have either embraced the hijacking of their party by the radical DSA or have run for cover. — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 Eight pirates, believed to be members of a group previously involved in the hijacking of the M/V Sward on April 26, took the vessel toward the coast near Garmaal in Puntland’s Dangoroyo district. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 That’s likely because the account hijacking can also pave the way for the culprits to learn details about the victim. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026 Other elements that appeared in sequels, such as several Covenant weapons and vehicle hijacking, are also now part of the experience. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 29 July 2026 There are also some strong sequences in the climax to Nolan’s Batman trilogy — such as the riveting plane hijacking opener, and Bruce’s trial in The Pit. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
Verb
Visible signs of body-hijacking mental illness drive Ingrid to a grisly suicide in the bathroom that her daughter is forced to witness. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026 The question is how long the mini-digression can become without hijacking the main sentence (or story). — Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 While Hollywood often depicts hackers remotely hijacking an entire vehicle, experts say modern attacks are more likely to target the broader ecosystem surrounding autonomous cars. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026 The guide also featured a picture of Palestinian activist Leila Khaled, who gained iconic status among left-wing circles for hijacking planes in 1969 and 1970. — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 10 Aug. 2026 Each episode barrels forward with the logic of a live-action cartoon, hijacking the visual language of everything from My Dinner With Andre to Dog Day Afternoon, while cramming in references to pop culture, video games, and Canadian esoterica. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 2026 The side walls engage your peripheral vision without hijacking your attention. — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026 That is how a quick hotel Wi-Fi session can turn into someone hijacking an account, locking you out, racking up charges or selling your access on the side. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026 Britain’s far-right has a history of hijacking incidents like this to use as fuel for their own narratives. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacking
  1. kidnapping
  2. commandeering
  3. abduction
  4. seizing
  5. rape
Noun
  • Chilean authorities have charged Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas, the alleged leader of Los Piratas, the main branch of Tren de Aragua in Chile, with kidnapping, extortion and criminal association, among other offenses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Former Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Mike Caruso, who is facing allegations of kidnapping and molesting a child, will be freed from jail and can have contact with children, an Orlando judge ruled Friday.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of kidnapping
Verb
  • Westfield Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, California, began charging in 2022 to discourage commuters, travelers and other people not parking there to shop from commandeering all the spots.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine, then, commandeering a private plane for the ultimate two-week adventure entirely on your own terms.
    — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
Definition of commandeering
Noun
  • While individual kidnappings in Haiti are commonplace, mass abductions are more unusual.
    — Evens Sanon, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Last week, dozens of people were kidnapped from a mosque in a spate of abductions at several villages in Nigeria's north-central Niger state.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of abduction
Verb
  • At the same time, seizing damaged assets could bring another financial burden.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Hull were, unsurprisingly, the opposite, playing with urgency on the ball and seizing the opportunity to hurt United at set pieces.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of seizing
Noun
  • The raid underscores gangs’ push to seize strategic mountain corridors around upscale Pétion-Ville, even as armed groups now control most of Port-au-Prince and nationwide killings, rapes and kidnappings surge.
    — Pierre-Richard Luxama, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In cases of rape and murder, the punishment is life imprisonment.
    — Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rape

Browse Nearby Words

hijackers
hijacking
hijackings
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Cite this Entry

“Hijacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacking. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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