as in to abduct
to carry away (as a person) forcibly or unlawfully
the child of the wealthy industrialist was kidnapped and held for ransom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 kidnap
His sentence was later commuted by the governor, but Frank was kidnapped and lynched by an angry mob.
—
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Mississippi Department of Corrections via AP, File The Context
Jordan, a Vietnam War veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, was sentenced to death in 1976 for killing and kidnapping Edwina Marter.
—Khaleda Rahman
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Jordan was sentenced to death in 1976 for kidnapping and killing Edwina Marter, a mother of two young children, earlier that year.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
In January, Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife were kidnapped in Vierzon, France.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Mississippi Department of Corrections via AP, File The Context
Jordan, a Vietnam War veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, was sentenced to death in 1976 for killing and kidnapping Edwina Marter.
—Khaleda Rahman
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Jordan was sentenced to death in 1976 for kidnapping and killing Edwina Marter, a mother of two young children, earlier that year.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
In January, Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife were kidnapped in Vierzon, France.
—Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnap
abduct
Verb
-
Within 48-hours of his release, Khalil was back on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, addressing supporters and even protesting outside of Columbia University’s gates, not far from where he had been abducted in March.—
Steven W. Thrasher
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
-
Waves of protests continued throughout the year, and in the final weeks of 2024, at least 10 young activists were abducted.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Twin Cities,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnap. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share