as in to abduct
to carry away (as a person) forcibly or unlawfully the child of the wealthy industrialist was kidnapped and held for ransom

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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 kidnap Sporting a head full of pink hair curlers and an oversized flannel atop a bulletproof vest, the rapper dangled from a life-size helicopter like a civilian kidnapped in an action movie. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2025 Simon Harris, who is currently serving as Ireland's Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, said in a statement that Irish citizen Gena Heraty and a 3-year-old child were among those kidnapped, per a news release. Becca Longmire, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025 Women were kidnapped by jihads, and children were kidnapped and missing. Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2025 José opened a toy store, but, that October, he was kidnapped the same day as Patricia and their daughter. Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnap
abduct
Verb
  • The actress, 68, spoke with PEOPLE following the release of her new sci-fi action movie Osiris, which sees a group of commandos, abducted by an alien race, in a daring fight for survival.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Residents here without legal authorization with no criminal records pleading their cases dutifully in court have been abducted by agents at courthouses.
    Storer H. Rowley, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnap. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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