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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variants
also highjacking
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
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Recent Examples of hijacking
ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
Google says that any site that uses back button hijacking should spend the next two months eliminating the practice.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2026
Several actual terror attacks against India are featured in the plot; these include the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814, the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, and the 2008 attacks across multiple landmarks in Mumbai.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
The hijacking sparked a dramatic police chase that ended in a rush-hour shootout when the truck became stuck in traffic on the busy Miramar Parkway.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The role of Israel’s hijacking of Iran’s street cameras in the killing of the country’s supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime.
—Dake Kang, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
And each one of those detours represents an opportunity for a hijacking if the data isn’t properly encrypted.
—Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2026
Atterton wanted to use the hijacking as an opportunity to take out not only Sam but Bailey-Brown, removing any other trace of the Kingdom hijacking in the first season, and establishing his dominance over the Cheapside Firm, an international crime syndicate based in London.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Alison Herman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
In the 1960s, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and then the Palestine Liberation Organization began hijacking international flights.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
In December, security researchers also spotted evidence that the creators of Aisuru were behind a new botnet called Kimwolf that’s been hijacking Android TV boxes.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
European Union leaders on Thursday lashed out at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, accusing him of hijacking critical aid for Ukraine and undermining EU decision-making in an effort to win an election at home.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Twin fuel crises sparked panic buying, hoarding and violence as Americans resorted to desperate measures including siphoning, theft and even hijacking tanker trucks.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
The goal is to stop scammers from hijacking accounts through tricks like fake talent competitions or misleading QR codes.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
For example, a standout sequence in which Mabel’s attempts to communicate with Jerry via text-to-speech on her phone are derailed by George and the other animals hijacking it while discovering emojis is a riot, and only works because each of the characters is immediately understandable.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2026
The Pentagon does not want hostile forces hijacking these robotic freighters.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also issued a statement reporting a hijacking incident off the Somali coast.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
Google says that any site that uses back button hijacking should spend the next two months eliminating the practice.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2026
Several actual terror attacks against India are featured in the plot; these include the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814, the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, and the 2008 attacks across multiple landmarks in Mumbai.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
The hijacking sparked a dramatic police chase that ended in a rush-hour shootout when the truck became stuck in traffic on the busy Miramar Parkway.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The role of Israel’s hijacking of Iran’s street cameras in the killing of the country’s supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime.
—Dake Kang, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
And each one of those detours represents an opportunity for a hijacking if the data isn’t properly encrypted.
—Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2026
Atterton wanted to use the hijacking as an opportunity to take out not only Sam but Bailey-Brown, removing any other trace of the Kingdom hijacking in the first season, and establishing his dominance over the Cheapside Firm, an international crime syndicate based in London.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
Nicky’s sister Portia (Gus Birney) seems intent on hijacking the wedding, spearheading everything from food to decor.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
In the 1960s, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and then the Palestine Liberation Organization began hijacking international flights.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
In December, security researchers also spotted evidence that the creators of Aisuru were behind a new botnet called Kimwolf that’s been hijacking Android TV boxes.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
European Union leaders on Thursday lashed out at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, accusing him of hijacking critical aid for Ukraine and undermining EU decision-making in an effort to win an election at home.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Twin fuel crises sparked panic buying, hoarding and violence as Americans resorted to desperate measures including siphoning, theft and even hijacking tanker trucks.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
The goal is to stop scammers from hijacking accounts through tricks like fake talent competitions or misleading QR codes.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
For example, a standout sequence in which Mabel’s attempts to communicate with Jerry via text-to-speech on her phone are derailed by George and the other animals hijacking it while discovering emojis is a riot, and only works because each of the characters is immediately understandable.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2026
The Pentagon does not want hostile forces hijacking these robotic freighters.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacking
Noun
-
At the start of the prosecution’s case on April 7, Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the course of kidnapping.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The 38-year-old Smart, whose harrowing kidnapping story captivated the nation, announced her latest endeavor on Instagram over the weekend with a photo showing off her impressive physique.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Although this year’s edition of the Oscars, which aired on ABC on March 15, was hardly in the class of the 1972 installment, there was at least one moment that recalled Johnson’s witty, graceful sendup of stars commandeering the ceremony to climb atop their soapbox.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
After commandeering the offense with shot volume in recent games, Edwards played a real floor game to get his teammates involved.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fritz also reviewed clips of the abduction video that shows Horner placing Athena in his FedEx truck.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But in 2003, Santa Barbara police arrested Jackson on 10 criminal counts, including child molestation, abduction, false imprisonment, and extortion.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves flexed even more of their defensive muscle against the flagging Denver Nuggets, seizing a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory on Thursday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Multiple videos show a masked federal agent seizing a 57-year-old woman, who says she was put in a chokehold, during the protest in Durango.—
Morgan Lee,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Her testimony came after a judge last year declared a mistrial on the count of rape.—
Lisa Rozner,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In 2024, the Queens native starred in the London production of Lindsey Ferrentino’s eye-opening play, which tells the shattering true story of Nick Yarris, who was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder and spent 22 years on Pennsylvania’s death row.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hijacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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