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
In the 1920s, on a chicken ranch in Riverside County, a mother-and-son pair was abducting boys, molesting them and murdering them with an ax.
—
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Another Jefferson County circuit judge, Jessica Green, last year drew local and national criticism after granting shock probation to a 32-year-old man accused of abducting a mother and two children and stabbing the mother during a bank robbery.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
Five days later, she was found alive – and authorities arrested a local suspect who was familiar with the family and her grandson’s construction company, abducting her to get $3 million ransom.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Elleshia Anne Seymour — Kendall's ex-wife and the children's mother, who Utah authorities accuse of abducting them — has since been arrested in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia confirms to PEOPLE.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
After abducting the man, the kidnappers would become violent, cutting off fingers, ears, or nipples to pressure families into paying ransoms quickly, the Mexican officer says.
—Kevin Maurer, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2026
Anyway, back to abducting the president of Venezuela.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
An investigation revealed the suspect threatened the victim with a knife, abducting her from the street, according to Montgomery County detectives.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
In the far north, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province regularly swoop into villages in overnight raids, killing, abducting and destroying.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Another Jefferson County circuit judge, Jessica Green, last year drew local and national criticism after granting shock probation to a 32-year-old man accused of abducting a mother and two children and stabbing the mother during a bank robbery.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
Five days later, she was found alive – and authorities arrested a local suspect who was familiar with the family and her grandson’s construction company, abducting her to get $3 million ransom.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Elleshia Anne Seymour — Kendall's ex-wife and the children's mother, who Utah authorities accuse of abducting them — has since been arrested in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia confirms to PEOPLE.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
After abducting the man, the kidnappers would become violent, cutting off fingers, ears, or nipples to pressure families into paying ransoms quickly, the Mexican officer says.
—Kevin Maurer, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2026
Anyway, back to abducting the president of Venezuela.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
An investigation revealed the suspect threatened the victim with a knife, abducting her from the street, according to Montgomery County detectives.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
In the far north, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province regularly swoop into villages in overnight raids, killing, abducting and destroying.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abducting
kidnapping
Verb
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An 18-year-old was arrested after allegedly kidnapping his 12-year-old brother along with his mother during a domestic incident, according to Michigan State Police.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Putin has already been declared a war criminal by the International Criminal Court for kidnapping thousands of Ukrainian children.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abducting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abducting. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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