variants
also kidnaping
as in abduction
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal
an alert system for the prompt reporting of juvenile kidnappings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
variants
also kidnaping
as in abducting
to carry away (as a person) forcibly or unlawfully
the child of the wealthy industrialist was kidnapped and held for ransom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kidnapping
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
But a week after reporting the kidnapping, investigators arrested the couple at their Cabazon home after determining that Emmanuel was most likely dead and the couple had faked their story.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Aaron Deunte Ratliff, 37, was arrested May 23 and charge with 10 felonies, including five counts of first degree kidnapping and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office said in a May 25 news release.
—Mark Price
may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026
One of his life sentences was for ordering the kidnapping and subsequent strangulation of the 12-year-old son of a witness in the Falcone case, whose body was then dissolved in acid.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office conducted the raid on suspicion of drug trafficking and kidnapping — but found nothing with which to incriminate or charge Afroman.
—Andrew Graham
may 28, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2026
Under colonial rule hijras were accused of acting as male prostitutes and of kidnapping and castrating children to grow their community.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
The latter category lists such risks as crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and poor public health care facilities.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 28 May 2026
Janel Parrish, Leslie David Baker and Erinn Hayes lead a forthcoming feature centering on a kidnapping.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Last month, a Santa Monica man, also unaffiliated with the university, was charged with kidnapping a female UCLA student in March to try to rape her.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Frobisher responded by kidnapping an Inuk man by luring him to the boat with a bell.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Deepfake technology has exploded, leading to crimes ranging from kidnapping to business email compromise.
—Tom Kellermann, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Is kidnapping by your potential girlfriend's dad a dealbreaker for the relationship?
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 25 May 2026
This week, he was arrested for the fourth time this year in Miami-Dade on one count of molestation of a child younger than 12 involving a defendant age 18 or older and one count of kidnapping a child under 13 to commit a lewd and lascivious act, court records show.
—Sofia Saric
may 20, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
In 1996, Davis was convicted of killing and kidnapping Klaas, and received a death sentence.
—Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
The article described a wealthy Bogotá family kidnapping their housekeeper under the pretext of protecting her through strict safety protocols.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 16 May 2026
Noun
Yes, Stolen Baby is based on the real-life murder of Broussard and the kidnapping of her daughter, Margo Elizabeth Carey.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
But a week after reporting the kidnapping, investigators arrested the couple at their Cabazon home after determining that Emmanuel was most likely dead and the couple had faked their story.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Aaron Deunte Ratliff, 37, was arrested May 23 and charge with 10 felonies, including five counts of first degree kidnapping and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office said in a May 25 news release.
—Mark Price
may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026
One of his life sentences was for ordering the kidnapping and subsequent strangulation of the 12-year-old son of a witness in the Falcone case, whose body was then dissolved in acid.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office conducted the raid on suspicion of drug trafficking and kidnapping — but found nothing with which to incriminate or charge Afroman.
—Andrew Graham
may 28, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2026
Under colonial rule hijras were accused of acting as male prostitutes and of kidnapping and castrating children to grow their community.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
The latter category lists such risks as crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and poor public health care facilities.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 28 May 2026
Janel Parrish, Leslie David Baker and Erinn Hayes lead a forthcoming feature centering on a kidnapping.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Verb
TdA members maintain control over their victims by threatening their families, assaulting them, and tracking down and kidnapping women who attempt to flee.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Last month, a Santa Monica man, also unaffiliated with the university, was charged with kidnapping a female UCLA student in March to try to rape her.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Frobisher responded by kidnapping an Inuk man by luring him to the boat with a bell.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Deepfake technology has exploded, leading to crimes ranging from kidnapping to business email compromise.
—Tom Kellermann, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Is kidnapping by your potential girlfriend's dad a dealbreaker for the relationship?
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 25 May 2026
This week, he was arrested for the fourth time this year in Miami-Dade on one count of molestation of a child younger than 12 involving a defendant age 18 or older and one count of kidnapping a child under 13 to commit a lewd and lascivious act, court records show.
—Sofia Saric
may 20, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
In 1996, Davis was convicted of killing and kidnapping Klaas, and received a death sentence.
—Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
The article described a wealthy Bogotá family kidnapping their housekeeper under the pretext of protecting her through strict safety protocols.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 16 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnapping
Noun
-
Director Robert Lieberman amps up the disturbing scares and emotions; an abduction scene is hard to forget.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
-
After her abduction, neighbors showed their support for the Guthrie family with yellow flowers and ribbons.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Investigators say his criminal history shows he had been arrested for abducting a young woman a year ago but was released on bail of $3,500 after 20 days.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
Investigators say his criminal history shows he had been arrested for abducting a young woman a year ago but was released on $3,500 bail after 20 days.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
And with the real-time aspect of The Pitt, there was opportunity to see the visceral intensity of a rape kit collection.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
-
The deputy fire chief paid him $100 via Zelle to commit the assault, according to the affidavits, and told him the woman had agreed to the attack as part of a rape role-play fantasy.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kidnapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnapping. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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