as in abducts
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 kidnaps
Hide and Seek follows a new string of murders featuring a dangerous stalker who kidnaps their victims before killing them, taunting them via text in the format of a popular Danish children’s counting rhyme (though the words chosen by the killer are far more violent).
—
Barry Levitt, Time, 7 May 2026
Vahid kidnaps the man, nicknamed Peg-Leg, in a white van, and collects a ragtag team of former detainees from across Tehran to try to certify his identity.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Playing Inez, a mother who kidnaps a six-year-old boy out of the foster care system and raises him as her own, showed another side of her as an actor.
—Lindsey Underwood, Vanity Fair, 13 Jan. 2026
Overflowing with rage, Vahid kidnaps the man and takes him out to the desert to bury him alive.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Kathy Bates is alternately terrifying and hysterical as the unforgettable Annie Wilkes, who kidnaps her favorite writer Paul Sheldon, played by an underrated James Caan.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Released in 1982, the dark satire stars Robert De Niro as a desperate aspiring comedian who kidnaps a talk-show host in a misguided attempt at fame.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Buffalo Bill kidnaps poor Catherine Martin (DON'T GET IN THE VAN).
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Nov. 2025
When Jack kidnaps him in Christmas Town and takes him to Halloween Town, he is given a nickname that doesn't fit his true nature.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Barry Levitt, Time, 7 May 2026
Vahid kidnaps the man, nicknamed Peg-Leg, in a white van, and collects a ragtag team of former detainees from across Tehran to try to certify his identity.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Playing Inez, a mother who kidnaps a six-year-old boy out of the foster care system and raises him as her own, showed another side of her as an actor.
—Lindsey Underwood, Vanity Fair, 13 Jan. 2026
Overflowing with rage, Vahid kidnaps the man and takes him out to the desert to bury him alive.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Kathy Bates is alternately terrifying and hysterical as the unforgettable Annie Wilkes, who kidnaps her favorite writer Paul Sheldon, played by an underrated James Caan.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Released in 1982, the dark satire stars Robert De Niro as a desperate aspiring comedian who kidnaps a talk-show host in a misguided attempt at fame.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Buffalo Bill kidnaps poor Catherine Martin (DON'T GET IN THE VAN).
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Nov. 2025
When Jack kidnaps him in Christmas Town and takes him to Halloween Town, he is given a nickname that doesn't fit his true nature.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnaps
abducts
Verb
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The authorities take her to the hospital, where a man pretending to be a social worker nearly drugs and abducts her.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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As Fisk's anti-vigilante task force abducts dissidents off the street, locking them away in an undisclosed warehouse full of cages, Daredevil (Charlie Cox) becomes a symbol of rebellion for those willing to fight back.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kidnaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnaps. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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