kidnapped also kidnaped
ˈkid-ˌnapt 
; kidnapping also kidnaping
; kidnapping also kidnaping
: to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom
kidnapper
noun
or less commonly kidnaper
Examples of kidnap in a Sentence
the child of the wealthy industrialist was kidnapped and held for ransom
Recent Examples on the Web
Emma Stone's getting kidnapped.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
In the years leading up to the general election in 1999, my parents locked us in the house—the one-bedroom apartment on Ogunleye Street where my elder sister and I were born—because children were being kidnapped for money rituals.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
The thriller stars Nishijima and Gwei as a married couple in New York whose seemingly happy life unravels after their son is kidnapped, exposing hidden pasts and suppressed emotions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
In December, a married couple was kidnapped by a group of undocumented migrants in their Aurora, Colorado, apartment complex.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
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Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
In the years leading up to the general election in 1999, my parents locked us in the house—the one-bedroom apartment on Ogunleye Street where my elder sister and I were born—because children were being kidnapped for money rituals.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
The thriller stars Nishijima and Gwei as a married couple in New York whose seemingly happy life unravels after their son is kidnapped, exposing hidden pasts and suppressed emotions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
In December, a married couple was kidnapped by a group of undocumented migrants in their Aurora, Colorado, apartment complex.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Cite this Entry
“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kidnap. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
Etymology
probably back-formation from kidnapper, from kid child + obsolete napper thief
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