as in prisoners
one that has been taken and held in confinement
the captives in the concentration camp had devised a daring plan of escape
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Recent Examples of captives
Snipers targeted inmates holding captives on the catwalks.
—
Michael Collins, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The captives were forced to their knees before being shot from behind as dozens of bystanders looked on.
—Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
By Tuesday evening, just eight of the 28 deceased hostages still in Gaza had been released by Hamas, adding anguish to many families who watched the country celebrate the return of the living captives as a great success.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Another transfer involving 13 surviving hostages and 28 additional captives — including 26 confirmed dead and two whose status remains uncertain — is expected to follow.
—Victor Loh,emma Graham, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
During the past two years, some of the captives may have experienced the decline, or even failure, of vital organs.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The story follows Enkei, a prisoner trapped in a brutal underground world where captives fight to the death.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Adams argued that the captives had the right of due process.
—Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Our first field shoot was appropriately enough to visit released hostages and families of captives of Hamas.
—Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Michael Collins, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The captives were forced to their knees before being shot from behind as dozens of bystanders looked on.
—Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
By Tuesday evening, just eight of the 28 deceased hostages still in Gaza had been released by Hamas, adding anguish to many families who watched the country celebrate the return of the living captives as a great success.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Another transfer involving 13 surviving hostages and 28 additional captives — including 26 confirmed dead and two whose status remains uncertain — is expected to follow.
—Victor Loh,emma Graham, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
During the past two years, some of the captives may have experienced the decline, or even failure, of vital organs.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The story follows Enkei, a prisoner trapped in a brutal underground world where captives fight to the death.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Adams argued that the captives had the right of due process.
—Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Our first field shoot was appropriately enough to visit released hostages and families of captives of Hamas.
—Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captives
prisoners
Noun
-
As part of the ceasefire, Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages held in Gaza, while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The ceasefire agreement also stipulated Israeli releases of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange for hostages and the restoration of humanitarian aid.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captives. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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