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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Recent Examples of kidnap
He was accused in October 2025 of kidnapping his then-wife and taking her to Kentucky.
—
Christopher Derose, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
The drug-trafficking-as-armed-attack line simply doesn’t work—not as a justification for bombing fishing boats in international waters in the Caribbean, and not for invading a foreign country and kidnapping its president.
—Elie Mystal, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
That $2,000 to kidnap, $10,000 to kill senior Border Patrol officials and senior ICE officials here in Chicago.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Ferrer fears he could be kidnapped by cartels along the way, again.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Christopher Derose, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
The drug-trafficking-as-armed-attack line simply doesn’t work—not as a justification for bombing fishing boats in international waters in the Caribbean, and not for invading a foreign country and kidnapping its president.
—Elie Mystal, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
That $2,000 to kidnap, $10,000 to kill senior Border Patrol officials and senior ICE officials here in Chicago.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Ferrer fears he could be kidnapped by cartels along the way, again.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnap
abduct
Verb
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That is until Charlie is abducted by aliens and returns spry, brimming with superpowers, including the ability to talk, and becomes an overnight sensation.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
14 Jan. 2026
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On the 25th anniversary of her disappearance, in January 2021, Arlington Police held a news conference in the parking lot where Amber was abducted.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnap. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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