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general::
Phrase(s): thumb a ride [and] hitch a ride
to get a ride from a passing motorist; to make a sign with one’s thumb that indicates to passing drivers that one is asking for a ride. • My car broke down on the highway, and I had to thumb a ride to get back to town. • Sometimes it’s dangerous to hitch a ride with a stranger.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs