variants
also kidnapings
as in abductions
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal
an alert system for the prompt reporting of juvenile kidnappings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kidnappings
In the '30s, when the Lindbergh baby was abducted, kidnappings and ransoms were so common that high-profile people often secured kidnapping insurance.
—
Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnappings
Noun
-
The last year saw the federal government swarm the city with violent immigration raids and abductions.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 May 2026
-
Last year, two mass abductions from schools rocked the nation, with over 300 children taken in the northern region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Gaff had also been previously convicted of second-degree assault for two violent rapes months after Weaver's murder.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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Hospital is an oasis Inside the sprawling slum, where gang violence has left scores of children orphaned, rapes of women and girls are frequent and cholera, hunger and malnutrition remain entrenched, La Fontaine is widely seen as both an oasis and a lifeline.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kidnappings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnappings. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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