as in kidnappings
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal
discredited reports of abductions by aliens
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Recent Examples of abductions
The abductions appear to have been part of North Korea’s espionage program, according to a 2014 UN report.
—
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Russia has denied the allegations, but the court accused Putin of personal responsibility for the abductions.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Now spreading to other Blue states and cities, the LA abductions saw heavy protests in DTLA and Trump federalizing the state’s National Guard and hundreds of Marines to clampdown.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
Yale’s lab has tracked these abductions for years now, and the group released its latest report on Tuesday, which shed more light on the scope and scale of Russia’s indoctrination efforts.
—Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
Researchers also note that alternative silencing tactics, such as abductions and criminalization, appear to be on the rise globally.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
And the abductions keep happening.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025
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
The high-profile kidnapping is among several abductions that have continued to take place in Haiti, where armed gangs have carried out attacks against large swaths of the capital to control territory.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Russia has denied the allegations, but the court accused Putin of personal responsibility for the abductions.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Now spreading to other Blue states and cities, the LA abductions saw heavy protests in DTLA and Trump federalizing the state’s National Guard and hundreds of Marines to clampdown.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
Yale’s lab has tracked these abductions for years now, and the group released its latest report on Tuesday, which shed more light on the scope and scale of Russia’s indoctrination efforts.
—Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
Researchers also note that alternative silencing tactics, such as abductions and criminalization, appear to be on the rise globally.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
And the abductions keep happening.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025
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
The high-profile kidnapping is among several abductions that have continued to take place in Haiti, where armed gangs have carried out attacks against large swaths of the capital to control territory.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abductions
rapes
Noun
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Before turning to murder, Long is believed to have committed at least 50 rapes across Florida, according to the outlet.—
Erica Marrison,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Pillowcase Rapist was one of the most notorious serial rapists in Florida history — with police in 2020 linking Koehler to dozens of rapes from years ago through DNA.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abductions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abductions. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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