This idea was explored in George Orwell's novel 1984, and was alive and well in the era of political correctness.

Feminists redefined domestic violence to only refer to male on female violence. Making it hard, and clumsy for any opponent to talk about women harming male family members or children.

Racism was redefined to refer to a dominant white paradigm which discriminated against underprivileged minority groups. Apparently ethnic groups who chose to vilify Caucasians because of the color of their skin were not racists, but something else less loaded. This technique is most effective when the terms which are hijacked are emotionally loaded terms which we already formed opinions about.