carjacking

noun

car·​jack·​ing ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ How to pronounce carjacking (audio)
: the theft of an automobile from its driver by force or intimidation
In the cities and suburbs, where muggings and carjackings are a daily concern, voters are wondering how many of the nation's 200 million guns are pointed at them.Richard Lacayo
… Congress made a show of getting tough on crime by making armed carjackings a federal crime.Janet Novack
carjack transitive verb
carjacked; carjacking; carjacks
Several weeks after the shooting, a woman my age was carjacked there. Susan Straight
carjacker noun
plural carjackers
If you're confronted by a carjacker, be cooperative. The big picture: It's your car versus your life. Amy Lumet

Examples of carjacking in a Sentence

The police are investigating another carjacking.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The suspect was involved in a carjacking about 9:30 a.m. on the 6000 block of Florin Road, in the jurisdiction of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, said Officer Allison Smith, a spokesperson with the Sacramento Police Department. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 28 Jan. 2025 In a brazen daylight carjacking, a 76-year-old Cornelius man was robbed of his SUV and $1,000 in cash while filling up at a Lake Norman-area QuikTrip on Monday, police said. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 16 Jan. 2025 According to police data updated Thursday, Milwaukee has seen 504 carjackings in 2024, which is a steady increase from the last two years. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 20 Dec. 2024 May 28: Jerrett Dwain Gray Jr., 20, was a suspect in an armed carjacking when he was fatally shot while trying to flee police in the Cavalier Court apartment complex. Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carjacking 

Word History

Etymology

car + (hi)jack + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carjacking was in 1991

Dictionary Entries Near carjacking

Cite this Entry

“Carjacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carjacking. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Legal Definition

carjacking

noun
car·​jack·​ing ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ How to pronounce carjacking (audio)
: theft by force or intimidation of an auto that has a driver or passenger present

More from Merriam-Webster on carjacking

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