hitchhike

1 of 2

verb

hitch·​hike ˈhich-ˌhīk 

hitchhiked; hitchhiking; hitchhikes

intransitive verb

1

: to travel by securing free rides from passing vehicles

2

: to be carried or transported by chance or unintentionally

destructive insects hitchhiking on ships

transitive verb

: to solicit and obtain (a free ride) especially in a passing vehicle

hitchhiker noun

hitchhiker

2 of 2

noun

hitch·​hik·​er

"ə(r)

: one that hitchhikes

Synonyms of hitchhike

Verb

• hitch

Examples of hitchhike in a Sentence

Verb

Her car broke down, so she had to hitchhike back home.

He hitchhiked his way across the country last summer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

One man recounts hitchhiking four miles a day to a bakery to save 20 cents on a bag of bread for his family. — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026

By hitchhiking on a passing virus, transposons can defy species boundaries and land in a totally new evolutionary setting. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

In the late 1970s, University of Minnesota student Victoria Wozniak was hitchhiking and accepted a ride from classmate David Burton Morris, a movie nut who first became Wozniak’s friend, then lover, and ultimately husband. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026

The day before their bodies were discovered, Maggie and Mary last seen hitchhiking in Stock Island, almost 100 miles south of Key Largo, according to the sheriff’s office. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for hitchhike

• alike
• belike
• birdlike
• catlike
• childlike
• christlike
• deathlike
• dislike
• dreamlike
• friedreich
• godlike
• hairlike

Kids Definition

hitchhike

verb

hitch·​hike ˈhich-ˌhīk 

: to travel by securing free rides from passing vehicles

hitchhiker noun