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hatchback

American  
[hach-bak] / ˈhætʃˌbæk /

noun

  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

Etymology

Origin of hatchback

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

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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.

The BYD Dolphin, an all-electric hatchback, starts at less than $14,000 in China.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 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

Take the current VW Golf hatchback, which is 9cm wider and 22cm longer than the version on sale in the mid-1980s.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

For years its Focus model was the UK's most-popular, but the US company axed the hatchback and the last Ford Focus rolled off factory lines in Germany last week.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

She opened the hatchback and heaved the sack of balls into the backseat.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

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