Investigators foiled a plot to hijack an airplane.
Source: tatoeba (5265699)
Hijack
Synonyms for "hijack" (58 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (12)
Strong matches (17)
Verb(3 words)
Related words (29)
Noun(15 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: air piracy, appropriate, blackjack, bludgeon, bulldoze.
- Sentence evidence is available for hijack, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "hijack".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "hijack"
Keep "hijack" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "hijack" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "hijack", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "hijack" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
22 entriesabuse of powerarrogateassumecapturecontrolcrimecriminal offencecriminal offensedirectlaw-breakingmanagemanipulationmisappropriationmisuseseize
Showing 16 of 22 words.
More specific
15 entriesURL hijackagenda hijackair piracyaircraft hijackbus hijackcarjackingcookie hijackdebate hijackmedia hijacknarrative hijackpolicy hijackprocess hijacksession hijackship hijackstream hijack
Collocations
10 entriesagenda hijackair piracyaircraft hijackbrowser hijackcarjackinghijack attemptnarrative hijackplane hijackpolitical hijackvehicle hijack
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
47 translations across 27 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- خَطَفَ verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- qaçırmaq verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Bulgarian
1 entries- отвличам verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Catalan
1 entries- segrestar verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 劫持 verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- 劫機 /劫机 verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- 攔路搶劫 /拦路抢劫 verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Czech
1 entries- unést verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Danish
1 entries- kapre verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Dutch
1 entries- kapen verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Esperanto
1 entries- kaperi verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Estonian
1 entries- kaaperdama verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Finnish
1 entries- kaapata verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
French
1 entries- détourner verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Galician
1 entries- secuestrar verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
German
4 entries- die Kontrolle an sich reißen über verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- entführen verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- hijacken verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- kapern verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Greek
2 entries- απάγω verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- καταλαμβάνω verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Italian
1 entries- dirottare verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Japanese
1 entries- 乗っ取る verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Macedonian
3 entries- гра́бне verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- о́тима verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- при́граби verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Malay
1 entries- rampas verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Māori
2 entries- kāhaki verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- kāwhaki verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Norman
1 entries- haïjatchi verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Polish
2 entries- porwać verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- porywać verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Portuguese
1 entries- sequestrar verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Russian
4 entries- захва́тывать verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- захвати́ть verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- напа́сть verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- напада́ть verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Spanish
4 entries- arrebatar verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- atracar verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- rebatar verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- secuestrar verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Swedish
1 entries- kapa verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Vietnamese
2 entries- cướp máy bay verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
- không tặc verb (to seize control of a vehicle)
Sample sentences
10 total sentences available.
If someone doesn't hijack something, it's not a good movie.
Source: tatoeba (8161116)
It was like having an alien hijack your body and then brainwash you by altering your perception of your memories and experiences.
Source: tatoeba (10498700)
In Premium Rush, a routine delivery for a New York bicycle courier turns into a race against the clock when a mysterious stranger tries to hijack the package.
Source: tatoeba (11088884)
Showing 4 of 10 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "hijack"?
Closest matches include air piracy, appropriate, blackjack, bludgeon, bulldoze.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "hijack"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.