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
Investigators believe Horner planned to kidnap and kill Athena.
—
Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
When Westley is presumed dead at the hands of pirates, she is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), before being kidnapped by the trio of Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), Fezzik (André the Giant) and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin).
—David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Apr. 2026
Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups that kidnap for ransom.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Horner faces the possibility of the death penalty after pleading guilty to kidnapping and killing Athena Strand in 2022.
—Lauren Crawford, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
When Westley is presumed dead at the hands of pirates, she is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), before being kidnapped by the trio of Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), Fezzik (André the Giant) and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin).
—David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Apr. 2026
Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups that kidnap for ransom.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Horner faces the possibility of the death penalty after pleading guilty to kidnapping and killing Athena Strand in 2022.
—Lauren Crawford, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnap
abduct
Verb
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Any hopes that 2026 would provide stabilization, either economically or geopolitically, were dashed with US attack on Venezuela to abduct President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 and, eight weeks later, the launching of the current war with Iran.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
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Police said about 30 minutes after allegedly abducting the teen girl, the suspect took her to the gas station where Abohatem worked and told her to buy him cigarettes.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnap. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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