1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

captor

noun

Definition of captornext
as in warden

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 captor By comparison, prize law does not require a captor to have a warrant or tie a vessel’s seizure to a violation of an existing stature. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 But the captor would not have been inclined to tell that story, and the captive was not allowed, being not permitted to learn to read or write. — Anne Haley, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Òdódó’s transformation from a naïve and scared young woman into a powerful and influential queen at the king’s court is both remarkable and realistic, and so is her complex relationship with her husband (and captor). — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 After repatriation, many former prisoners returned to the United States to launch professional careers or to renew acquaintances with their former captors. — Helaine Williams, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for captor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captor
  1. warden
  2. keeper
  3. marshal
  4. jailer
  5. guardian
  6. custodian
  7. guard
Noun
  • Hosfelt was among nine staff members, including the former warden, arrested in June 2024 and charged with felonies in connection with deaths at the prison.
    — Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Luckily — or maybe unluckily — the camp’s warden, a hardbitten guy with an oily smile named Clancy (Russell Crowe, hardbitten, smiley, and oily), takes a liking to Murphy.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of warden
Noun
  • Kaminski was 33-of-48 passing for 381 yards for North Dakota (4-1), ranked seventh in the Stats Perform Football Championship Subdivision poll, and added 76 yards on 18 keepers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Ultimately, Jenkins capped the drive with a 4-yard keeper, putting UCF ahead 34-27 with 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of keeper
Noun
  • Weeks later, an investigation by the local fire marshal inside the El Reno data center uncovered a further laundry list of horrifying violations.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The confrontation then escalated into crossfire, with Weaver’s friend Kevin Harris killing a marshal, and an FBI sniper killing Weaver’s wife, Vicki.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of marshal
Noun
  • Sometimes there’s a lot of hate—and not just at the jailer, at one another.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Shawna was hospitalized and survived with serious injuries, but David — a beloved Montgomery County deputy jailer — died.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of jailer
Noun
  • Martinez and Jesse became her legal guardians, and Martinez communicated every day with Rachelle’s mother, Maddison, who is still in prison.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In California, a parent or legal guardian can surrender a baby within 72 hours of birth — no questions asked — to ensure the child’s well-being, the department said.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of guardian
Noun
  • If the information isn't readily available online, contact your custodian to ask how to get these specific details.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Long is on Zoom, from her home in Los Angeles and seated at her kitchen counter with the sliding doors behind her, where a custodian is cleaning the deck that coyotes keep fouling.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of custodian
Noun
  • Iowa lined up to go for it on fourth down at the Michigan 28 late in the game and left guard Leighton Jones was flagged for a false start.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The Fever guard missed much of last season with a variety of injuries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of guard

Browse Nearby Words

captivity
captor
captors
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Captor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captor. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of argot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All