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 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
He has not been charged with a crime, and some supporters have accused the government of abducting him.
—Laura Romero, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2025
The news of a man sought by police for shooting and killing two people and abducting a child left them disturbed and frightened.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
Police suspected that Manning then drove the victim’s car to unincorporated Platte County and shot two more people, killing a boy and seriously injuring a woman, and abducting a child.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2025
Moody eventually confessed to abducting, raping and strangling the teen.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
Three people are accused of abducting a patient from a health care facility as part of a conservatorship scheme, California police reported.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 19 Feb. 2025
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
He has not been charged with a crime, and some supporters have accused the government of abducting him.
—Laura Romero, ABC News, 13 Mar. 2025
The news of a man sought by police for shooting and killing two people and abducting a child left them disturbed and frightened.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
Police suspected that Manning then drove the victim’s car to unincorporated Platte County and shot two more people, killing a boy and seriously injuring a woman, and abducting a child.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2025
Moody eventually confessed to abducting, raping and strangling the teen.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
Three people are accused of abducting a patient from a health care facility as part of a conservatorship scheme, California police reported.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abducting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abducting. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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