Synonyms of hijack

hijack

verb

ˈhī-ˌjak 

variants also highjack

as in to commandeer

to take control of (a vehicle) by force

some loser tried to hijack the plane with a toy gun

Synonyms & Similar Words

• commandeer
• seize
• confiscate
• carjack
• skyjack
• appropriate
• expropriate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hijack

These viruses, known as retroviruses, insert a DNA copy of their RNA sequence into the host cell’s genome, hijacking the cell’s resources to reproduce themselves. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

Over the weekend, ShinyHunters boasted about hijacking and defacing CLOP’s site on the dark web with an image of a Pokémon. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

That debate accelerated in early September after Reuters reported that OpenAI’s agents hijacked a dormant German wiki site this spring. — Harshita Mary Varghese, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

As money hijacks morality and democracy begins to look like a hoax, Tresnjak’s Broadway-caliber staging contrasts garish spectacle with piercingly intimate scenes between Claire and Anton. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026