variants
also highjacked
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
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Recent Examples of hijacked
Love tried to explain the feeling, but Bryant hijacked his moment once again.
—
Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Officers Rodolfo Mirabal, Richard Santiesteban, and Leslie Lee are facing charges in connection with the December 5, 2019 incident, which began after two assailants hijacked a UPS truck during a Coral Gables jewelry heist.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
No Kings hasn’t been hijacked by leftist groups with more extreme agendas, spouting strident anti-American language that’s bound to repel ordinary people.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
After the Moonraker Space Shuttle is hijacked midair from an aircraft carrier, Bond is sent to investigate.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026
Tracy Anderson believes most people today have had their attention spans hijacked by social media and their perception of beauty corrupted by trends.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 Jan. 2026
Insiders told the outlet the bride believed that her mother-in-law hijacked the nuptials at Montsorrel estate, owned by her parents, billionaire Nelson Peltz and model Claudia Heffner.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
The source claimed that tensions finally came to a head after Victoria allegedly hijacked a dance at the 2022 nuptials.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance to a romantic love song.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Officers Rodolfo Mirabal, Richard Santiesteban, and Leslie Lee are facing charges in connection with the December 5, 2019 incident, which began after two assailants hijacked a UPS truck during a Coral Gables jewelry heist.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
No Kings hasn’t been hijacked by leftist groups with more extreme agendas, spouting strident anti-American language that’s bound to repel ordinary people.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
After the Moonraker Space Shuttle is hijacked midair from an aircraft carrier, Bond is sent to investigate.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026
Tracy Anderson believes most people today have had their attention spans hijacked by social media and their perception of beauty corrupted by trends.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 Jan. 2026
Insiders told the outlet the bride believed that her mother-in-law hijacked the nuptials at Montsorrel estate, owned by her parents, billionaire Nelson Peltz and model Claudia Heffner.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
The source claimed that tensions finally came to a head after Victoria allegedly hijacked a dance at the 2022 nuptials.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance to a romantic love song.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hijacked
Verb
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Schwarzenegger commandeered the stage with then-wife Maria Shriver to thank the crowds for the stellar turnout.—
René Guzman,
San Antonio Express-News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Not even the closets are safe from being commandeered as exhibit space for the Chicago Collective.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Authorities have seized more than €957,000 in cash, including €67,000 in foreign currency.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Feb. 2026
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While Japan has seized fishing vessels from South Korea and Taiwan in recent years, the incident is the first involving a vessel from China since 2022 and comes against the backdrop of a major diplomatic dispute between the countries.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hijacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hijacked. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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