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
To prevent that, after months of masked ICE immigration raids and abductions, the state’s Democrats are relying even more than usual on their base of Latinos and Black Americans to come out at the polls.
—
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
The comedy lies in the unwavering sincerity with which every ridiculous twist is treated, from one-night stands with a cuy fighter and multiple fires to violent abductions and a heartbroken lover riding her motorcycle off a cliff.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
The statistics later proved to be exaggerated, Renfro said, but the concerns remained, bolstered by a series of disturbing, high-profile abductions, including the Hollywood abduction and murder of 6-year-old Adam Walsh that thrust his father John Walsh into the spotlight.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
From February 2025 to February 2026, 53% of all abductions were of people in that age range.
—Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
From January 2025 through January 2026, there were 54,653 kidnappings or abductions reported in the United States, according to FBI figures.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The abductions add to questions about Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s security improvements promised since taking office.
—Aarón Ibarra, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Kidnappings and abductions of this sort—high profile, with a possible ransom—are relatively rare in the United States; missing persons reports more often involve runaways or parental abductions in custody cases.
—Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
In most abductions, there's a clear ransom demand.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
The comedy lies in the unwavering sincerity with which every ridiculous twist is treated, from one-night stands with a cuy fighter and multiple fires to violent abductions and a heartbroken lover riding her motorcycle off a cliff.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
The statistics later proved to be exaggerated, Renfro said, but the concerns remained, bolstered by a series of disturbing, high-profile abductions, including the Hollywood abduction and murder of 6-year-old Adam Walsh that thrust his father John Walsh into the spotlight.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
From February 2025 to February 2026, 53% of all abductions were of people in that age range.
—Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
From January 2025 through January 2026, there were 54,653 kidnappings or abductions reported in the United States, according to FBI figures.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The abductions add to questions about Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s security improvements promised since taking office.
—Aarón Ibarra, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Kidnappings and abductions of this sort—high profile, with a possible ransom—are relatively rare in the United States; missing persons reports more often involve runaways or parental abductions in custody cases.
—Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
In most abductions, there's a clear ransom demand.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abductions
Noun
-
In the '30s, when the Lindbergh baby was abducted, kidnappings and ransoms were so common that high-profile people often secured kidnapping insurance.—
Kase Wickman,
Vanity Fair,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The cold case was broken in 2024 when DNA from genetic genealogy connected Gale to the rapes.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Harms was convicted of the 2011 and 2019 rapes in Sacramento Superior Court in 2022.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abductions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abductions. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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