as in kidnapping
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 abducting
The judge who granted shock probation to a man later charged with abducting three people before robbing a bank has recused herself from the case.
—
Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
And if abducting all the show's children wasn't enough of a cliffhanger, the season/series ended with Claire Bennigan (Lily Rabe) sacrificing herself to save her son.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 251 people.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Florida on Tuesday put to death a man convicted of abducting a woman from an insurance office and fatally stabbing her.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Armond Langford is accused of abducting a family and robbing a bank in Louisville.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 13 Aug. 2025
The war, which has reduced much of the coastal enclave to rubble, began when thousands of Hamas operatives crossed into Israel, killing and abducting hundreds.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2025
The continuing attacks have been accompanied by the burning of buildings and a rise in kidnappings, with gang suspected of abducting people to use as human shields against police drone attacks.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
The referenda were staged after Russia's invasion had already forced hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to flee, and while Russian security forces were abducting and torturing anyone expressing opposition to its takeover.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2025
Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
And if abducting all the show's children wasn't enough of a cliffhanger, the season/series ended with Claire Bennigan (Lily Rabe) sacrificing herself to save her son.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 251 people.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Florida on Tuesday put to death a man convicted of abducting a woman from an insurance office and fatally stabbing her.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Armond Langford is accused of abducting a family and robbing a bank in Louisville.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 13 Aug. 2025
The war, which has reduced much of the coastal enclave to rubble, began when thousands of Hamas operatives crossed into Israel, killing and abducting hundreds.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2025
The continuing attacks have been accompanied by the burning of buildings and a rise in kidnappings, with gang suspected of abducting people to use as human shields against police drone attacks.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
The referenda were staged after Russia's invasion had already forced hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to flee, and while Russian security forces were abducting and torturing anyone expressing opposition to its takeover.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abducting
kidnapping
Verb
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Police arrested a person suspected of kidnapping a man after luring him to a location with promises of a photography session.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Sep. 2025
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Brandon Conley faces one count of kidnapping a minor and one count of theft by unlawful taking or disposition of auto between $1,000 and $10,000.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abducting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abducting. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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