1. to force someone to do something against their will, especially by trickery or coercion
Usage: informal
2. to kidnap someone for service aboard a ship
Usage: nautical; historical

Examples

• He was shanghaied into working overtime on the weekend.
• The committee shanghaied her into organizing the entire event.
• I got shanghaied into babysitting my neighbor’s kids.
• The sailors were shanghaied from waterfront bars in the 1800s.
• She felt shanghaied into accepting the promotion she didn’t want.
• The captain shanghaied men to fill his crew before sailing.