Definition of abductnext
as in to kidnap
to carry away (as a person) forcibly or unlawfully the gangsters planned to abduct the industrialist's young daughter and demand a huge ransom from her family

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abduct At 14, she was abducted from her Salt Lake City, Utah, home in June 2002. Anika Reed, USA Today, 8 May 2026 One character, a troubled traveling man named Herald Loomis (Joshua Boone), bears the scars of post-slavery enslavement after being abducted into seven years of hard labor under Joe Turner. Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 6 May 2026 In 1972, when Cary Stayner was 11, his younger brother Steven was abducted near their Merced home. Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 4 May 2026 Our city’s lack of a proactive plan leaves over 1 million members of our community at risk of being abducted. Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for abduct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abduct
kidnap
Verb
  • Busby kidnapped Crane from the parking lot of a Tom Thumb grocery store in Fort Worth.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
  • The thriller, based on the bestselling book The Chain by Adrian McKinty, follows Rachel (Comer), a suburban mom who must consider the unthinkable when her daughter is kidnapped.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Abduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abduct. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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