as in kidnaps
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 abducts
Another common mistake people make is rounding their shoulders forward, which abducts the scapula (moves the shoulder blades apart from one another).
—
Jenny McCoy, SELF, 25 Aug. 2025
Escaped from the gross goo sack, the Xenomorph abducts Hermit at the end of Episode 2, leaving Wendy to go after him once again.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Jenny McCoy, SELF, 25 Aug. 2025
Escaped from the gross goo sack, the Xenomorph abducts Hermit at the end of Episode 2, leaving Wendy to go after him once again.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abducts
kidnaps
Verb
-
At the film’s outset, Inez kidnaps her young son Terry from foster care shortly after her release from prison, and A Thousand and One chronicles her attempt to parent despite the scourges of abuse, police brutality and systemic racism.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
-
No One Saw Us Leave is a thriller about a young mother searching for her children after their father kidnaps them.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abducts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abducts. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share