abduction

noun

ab-ˈdək-shən How to pronounce abduction (audio)
Definition of abductionnext
as in kidnapping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal discredited reports of abductions by aliens

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abduction Helen of Troy, whose abduction started the Trojan war, and her sister Clytemnestra, who connives to murder her husband Agamemnon. — Jim Beckerman, USA Today, 16 July 2026 His unit has investigated gang activity, murders, abductions. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 Theories range from alien abductions to more scientific explanations like susceptibility to unexpected weather changes. — Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026 The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has been running Nancy’s abduction investigation from the start with the aid of the FBI. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for abduction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abduction
  1. kidnapping
  2. rape
Noun
  • People in northwest Nigeria are caught between regular attacks by bandit groups who specialize in kidnapping for ransom and Islamist militants who have been expanding their territory.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Helen is the queen of Sparta whose kidnapping by the Trojans ignited the Trojan War in the first place.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of kidnapping
Noun
  • Dennis Sochor, 74, became the oldest inmate executed in state history when he was put to death by lethal injection on Tuesday, July 14, for the 1982 rape and murder of 18-year-old Patty Gifford in Fort Lauderdale.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • In 1987, jurors convicted Sochor of the kidnapping, rape and first-degree murder of Gifford, who had moved to Fort Lauderdale from Massachusetts in 1981, months before she was killed.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of rape

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abducting
abduction
abductions
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Cite this Entry

“Abduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abduction. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on abduction

Nglish: Translation of abduction for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about abduction

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