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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 In order to maintain their loyalty and increase their areas of control, the family allegedly began kidnapping people to obtain ransom money. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025 Sariaha Hannah Lopez, 23, of San Bernardino, attacked the mom and tried to kidnap the child, deputies said. Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2025 When the pair is kidnapped, older daughter Naomi (James), who is still dealing with trauma from a previous climbing incident, must overcome her past to save her family. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025 In 1975, a college professor named Claude Snelling was shot and killed in Visalia while trying to stop a gunman from kidnapping his teenage daughter. Ian Berry, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnap
abduct
Verb
  • The report draws particular attention to the Eliza Fletcher case in Memphis, in which a woman was abducted and killed in September 2022.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
  • In the movie and its following sequels, groups of people who have lived less-than-perfect lives get abducted and placed in sadistic traps.
    Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnap. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on kidnap

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!