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
When Jamie’s beloved nephew Young Ian, son of his sister Jenny and Ian Murray, is kidnapped and held on a ship sailing to Jamaica, Claire and Jamie chase after him by hitching a ride on the Artemis.
—
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Guthrie's brother Charles Camron Guthrie, who has a military background, was the first to suggest their mom was kidnapped for ransom.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Based on security footage, authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped or otherwise taken against her will.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Another popular skit features Garcia imitating Hispanic mothers who constantly call their children to warn them about the dangers of solo travel, such as getting kidnapped and never seeing their family again.
—Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Guthrie's brother Charles Camron Guthrie, who has a military background, was the first to suggest their mom was kidnapped for ransom.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Based on security footage, authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped or otherwise taken against her will.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Another popular skit features Garcia imitating Hispanic mothers who constantly call their children to warn them about the dangers of solo travel, such as getting kidnapped and never seeing their family again.
—Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnap
abduct
Verb
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Duffy, the Welsh singer who was abducted, held captive for weeks, and raped, leading to her retreat from the public eye, will give her account of the harrowing ordeal in a new Hulu Original documentary for Disney+.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
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Years later, Duffy posted on social media that she had been abducted and assaulted.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnap. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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