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 Emmanuel Fremiet won a medal from the Paris Salon in 1887 for his large sculpture of a gorilla abducting a white woman. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 18 May 2026 Across the country, two secondary schools in the southwestern Oyo state were attacked hours apart on Friday, and at least 40 children were abducted there, according to Amnesty’s Nigeria branch. ABC News, 17 May 2026 Peter Wabba, a government official from Mussa, said Sunday that he was told that 48 children had been abducted in Oyo. Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026 It’s been well over 100 months since Nancy Guthrie was allegedly abducted from her Arizona home. Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 14 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 22 May. 2026.

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