Meaning & use

hitchhike

verb·Everyday

To travel by getting free rides from passing motorists, typically while signaling with a raised thumb.

See it in a sentence

They decided to hitchhike across the country to save money on their summer trip.

It's much less common to hitchhike safely nowadays than it was decades ago.

A note on using this word

Hitchhike is generally used as a verb, while a person who does it is called a hitchhiker.

Words with a similar meaning

thumb a ride

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

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