as in kidnaping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal
discredited reports of abductions by aliens
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Recent Examples of abduction
The artists say that the number of such abductions since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014 range from 20,000 to over a million.
—
Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
To successfully retake the area and maintain control, police would need to evacuate the orphanage, whose plans to relocate the children after the abduction had been blocked by threats from the gang.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
The actor also had small roles in Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King (1991) and the alien abduction film Fire in the Sky (1993).
—Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children, which Moscow calls a humanitarian effort to move them from zones of conflict, was labeled as a war crime by the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants for Putin and another top official.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abduction
Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
To successfully retake the area and maintain control, police would need to evacuate the orphanage, whose plans to relocate the children after the abduction had been blocked by threats from the gang.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
The actor also had small roles in Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King (1991) and the alien abduction film Fire in the Sky (1993).
—Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children, which Moscow calls a humanitarian effort to move them from zones of conflict, was labeled as a war crime by the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants for Putin and another top official.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abduction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abduction
Noun
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Perceived risks for all travelers including terrorism, kidnapping, and disease actually occur less frequently than road injuries.—
Tanya Mohn,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Eventually, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Eventually, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department publicly alleged that a kidnapping had not occurred, and that Emmanuel was believed dead.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Mazzei's ruling pointed out that whole genome sequencing was also used to solve the 1982 cold case rape and murder of 9-year-old Daralyn Johnson in Idaho, resulting in two consecutive life sentences for David Allen Dalrymple.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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At the time, Johnson was planning to open three new rape crisis centers in London, and Low wrote that the future Queen shared a story from her own personal experience.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abduction. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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