hijack
/ˈhaɪˌdʒæk/
verb
- To take control of a vehicle (such as an airplane, car, or ship) by force, especially for criminal purposes.
- Security at the airport was increased after someone tried to hijack a passenger plane.
- The driver managed to escape before the thieves could hijack his truck.
- The criminals planned to hijack the cargo ship and steal its valuable goods.
- To take control of something (such as a meeting, conversation, or event) in a way that is not authorized or fair, often to promote one's own agenda.
- Don't let one person hijack the discussion; everyone should have a chance to speak.
- The celebrity's surprise appearance threatened to hijack the entire awards ceremony.
- A few loud members tried to hijack the town hall meeting with their complaints.
- To steal or take over something (such as an idea, project, or brand) and use it for one's own benefit.
- The startup feared that a larger corporation would hijack their innovative technology.
- Some politicians try to hijack popular social movements for their own gain.
- The company accused its rival of trying to hijack their marketing campaign.
Synonyms
noun
- An act of taking control of a vehicle by force; a hijacking.
- The movie is based on a real hijack of a ferry in the 1990s.
- The hijack of the airplane ended peacefully when the passengers overpowered the attacker.
- Police prevented a hijack of the tour bus by negotiating with the armed man.
- An instance of taking control of something (such as a meeting or event) in an unauthorized way.
- The online forum experienced a hijack when trolls flooded it with spam.
- The board meeting turned into a hijack by shareholders demanding changes.
- The peaceful protest was a hijack by a small group of violent agitators.