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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Recent Examples of abduct
Foreign nationals have previously been abducted in Iraq, including before the current conflict.
—
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
College students and citizens are being abducted, and children are being used as bait by ICE.
—Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
The evidence showed that Boots was forcibly abducted, court records show.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abduct
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
College students and citizens are being abducted, and children are being used as bait by ICE.
—Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
The evidence showed that Boots was forcibly abducted, court records show.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abduct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abduct
kidnap
Verb
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Iraqi authorities are continuing the search for American journalist Shelly Kittleson who was kidnapped March 31 on a busy street in central Baghdad, Reuters reported.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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Gangs have continued to kidnap, kill and displace Haitian civilians.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abduct. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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