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
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Recent Examples of abducts
The authorities take her to the hospital, where a man pretending to be a social worker nearly drugs and abducts her.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
As Fisk's anti-vigilante task force abducts dissidents off the street, locking them away in an undisclosed warehouse full of cages, Daredevil (Charlie Cox) becomes a symbol of rebellion for those willing to fight back.
—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Stolen Girl Premieres January 3 – 8p/7c Based on real-life events, Stolen Girl follows the journey of Maureen Danning (Beckinsale), whose life is shattered when her ex-husband, Karim, abducts their young daughter, Amina, and flees to the Middle East.
—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 Dec. 2025
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
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
As Fisk's anti-vigilante task force abducts dissidents off the street, locking them away in an undisclosed warehouse full of cages, Daredevil (Charlie Cox) becomes a symbol of rebellion for those willing to fight back.
—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Stolen Girl Premieres January 3 – 8p/7c Based on real-life events, Stolen Girl follows the journey of Maureen Danning (Beckinsale), whose life is shattered when her ex-husband, Karim, abducts their young daughter, Amina, and flees to the Middle East.
—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abducts
kidnaps
Verb
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But there’s a version of Blaze’s playtime with Jessie where Smarty served as the twist villain in her spy story, and kidnaps the Tamagotchi, who was a baby in the playtime.
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Norm Green kidnaps our former hockey team to Texas, a place where ice is exclusively used to chill Lone Stars.
Cite this Entry
“Abducts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abducts. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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