Meaning & use

hijack

verb·Academic

To seize control of a vehicle, aircraft, or event illegally, often by force or threat.

See it in a sentence

Armed men attempted to hijack the plane shortly after it left the runway.

A small group of activists hijacked the meeting to push their own agenda.

A note on using this word

Hijack can be used figuratively for taking unwanted control of a conversation, meeting, or plan, not only literal vehicles.

Words with a similar meaning

commandeerseize

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hijack”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.