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
Pedro Hernandez, the man convicted of abducting and murdering Etan Patz, must be re-tried by June 2026 or he will be released from custody, a federal judge in New York ruled on Friday.
—
Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 251.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Nathan Alan Gingles is accused of abducting his 4-year-daughter and killing her mother, grandfather and a neighbor in Tamarac.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
The Her Smell director (and, relevantly, former Kim’s Video clerk) fully taps into his dark side for this sadistic little number about a community terrorized by a child-abducting serial killer.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
The Poquianchis recruited young girls from nearby towns and farms, deceiving families with false promises of work or abducting girls when alone.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The call for the tool follows a recent case in which a man, while on shock probation, was accused of abducting a mother and her two children en route to a bank robbery.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Sep. 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
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
Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 251.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Nathan Alan Gingles is accused of abducting his 4-year-daughter and killing her mother, grandfather and a neighbor in Tamarac.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
The Her Smell director (and, relevantly, former Kim’s Video clerk) fully taps into his dark side for this sadistic little number about a community terrorized by a child-abducting serial killer.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
The Poquianchis recruited young girls from nearby towns and farms, deceiving families with false promises of work or abducting girls when alone.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The call for the tool follows a recent case in which a man, while on shock probation, was accused of abducting a mother and her two children en route to a bank robbery.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Sep. 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abducting
kidnapping
Verb
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On October 7, 2023, militants led by Hamas stormed into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping about another 250 in a coordinated attack that blindsided the country.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
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Terrorists stormed Israeli communities near the Gaza border and attacked the Nova music festival, killing families in their homes and kidnapping men, women and children.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abducting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abducting. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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