carjacking
noun
car·jack·ing
ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ 
: 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
Richard Lacayo… Congress made a show of getting tough on crime by making armed carjackings a federal crime.—Janet Novack
Janet Novack
carjack
transitive verb
carjacked; carjacking; carjacks
Several weeks after the shooting, a woman my age was carjacked there.
—Susan Straight
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
Amy Lumet
Examples of carjacking in a Sentence
The police are investigating another carjacking.
Recent Examples on the Web
No injuries were reported in the carjacking incident.
—John Bacon, USA Today, 13 July 2025
Statistics from last year indicate that the murder rate in the city had declined, but carjackings did see an increase, Fox 6 Milwaukee reported.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
In the first 25 days of 2025, carjackings spiked by 300% in the Eastern District compared with that same period last year, with at least eight incidents reported.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 June 2025
When the carjacking took place, one of the deputies was suspended in the bucket.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for carjacking
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John Bacon, USA Today, 13 July 2025
Statistics from last year indicate that the murder rate in the city had declined, but carjackings did see an increase, Fox 6 Milwaukee reported.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
In the first 25 days of 2025, carjackings spiked by 300% in the Eastern District compared with that same period last year, with at least eight incidents reported.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 June 2025
When the carjacking took place, one of the deputies was suspended in the bucket.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for carjacking
Cite this Entry
“Carjacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carjacking. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
carjacking
noun
car·jack·ing
ˈkär-ˌja-kiŋ
: theft by force or intimidation of an auto that has a driver or passenger present
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