Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

hatchback

American  
[hach-bak] / ˈhætʃˌbæk /

noun

  • hatchbacks
    plural
  1. a style of automobile in which the rear deck lid and window lift open as a unit.


hatchback British  
/ ˈhætʃˌbæk /

noun

    1. a sloping rear end of a car having a single door that is lifted to open

    2. ( as modifier )

      a hatchback model

  1. a car having such a rear end

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of hatchback

First recorded in 1965–70; hatch 2 + back 1


Compare meaning

How does hatchback compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The new models will include three all-electric vehicles – the hatchback, a small SUV and an electric van called the Transit City.

From BBC ● May 18, 2026

It’s the type of song that probably sounds best coming out of the tinny speakers of a 1992 hatchback, and that’s frankly one of the highest compliments you can give to a grupero banger.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

Brinley said Nissan squandered its lead in the U.S. electric-vehicle market with the Leaf hatchback and waited too long to update its Frontier pickup truck despite the popularity of midsize trucks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025

By the 1990s, its Fiesta hatchback had become such a staple of British streets that Ford was almost considered a local brand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025

There was a chilly wind blowing against me as I walked over to her hatchback, parked away from the other vehicles.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Nowhere to be found: staid family sedans, cheap hatchbacks or frumpy minivans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

If you’ve been to Europe recently, you’ve seen the increasingly popular Chinese-made BYD hatchbacks and SUVs, often with starting prices below $30,000.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

In the 1970s and 1980s, for example, sales plummeted as stricter safety restrictions made them more expensive to build, while consumer tastes moved towards high-performance hatchbacks.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

Why shouldn’t their town square prioritize strolling couples and amateur oil painters and kids tossing softballs over parking meters and hatchbacks?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025

For years, American drivers have been gravitating toward sport utility vehicles and away from sedans, compacts and hatchbacks.

From New York Times ● May 8, 2024

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com