ransom 1 of 2

as in to save
to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price the prince emptied the treasury to ransom his son from the kidnappers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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ransom

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb ransom contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ransom are deliver, reclaim, redeem, rescue, and save. While all these words mean "to set free from confinement or danger," ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

When is deliver a more appropriate choice than ransom?

The words deliver and ransom are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

In what contexts can reclaim take the place of ransom?

The meanings of reclaim and ransom largely overlap; however, reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

When is it sensible to use redeem instead of ransom?

The synonyms redeem and ransom are sometimes interchangeable, but redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

When might rescue be a better fit than ransom?

In some situations, the words rescue and ransom are roughly equivalent. However, rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

Where would save be a reasonable alternative to ransom?

The words save and ransom can be used in similar contexts, but save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ransom
Verb
Tran’s brother, Kevin, was also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, as well as kidnapping for ransom and false imprisonment with gun-use enhancements. Jason Green, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025 The movie stars Washington as a music mogul who is targeted by a ransom plot that puts him in a morally compromising position. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
Such data, depending on the sensitivity, can be held to ransom against a threat of publication to a leak site or sale to the highest criminal bidder. Davey Winder, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024 They were taken by speedboats to the jungles of the southern Philippine province of Sulu, where they were held in harsh conditions before being mostly ransomed off using millions of dollars reportedly provided by then-Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi. Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for ransom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransom
Verb
  • Her efforts saved the animal’s life and landed her in her hometown newspaper, The Mountain Eagle, which was the first to write about the dramatic rescue and resuscitation.
    Michael Collins, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • These annual gifts can also reduce the size of your taxable estate, saving more of your lifetime exemption for future inheritances.
    Nathalie Goldstein, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Betty, who is in recovery from a serious medical diagnosis, said the service’s reflection held new meaning for her.
    Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
  • At its peak, unemployment soared past 10% in late 2009, only dropping below 8% by 2013—more sluggish than prior recoveries.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • So, there are still chances that the AHRQ could get rescued at some point by the House of Representatives.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The girl’s mom got into a kayak, paddled out to the sinking canoe and rescued her daughter, but her boyfriend went underwater, deputies said.
    Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But the product may limit how many redemptions investors can make to ensure liquidity demands can be met.
    Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But redemption can be lasting and impactful in existing industries that need to be turned around.
    Brandon Aversano, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For everyday consumers, this change dramatically expands the ways to earn and redeem AAdvantage miles—not just by flying, but by tapping into credit card spending.
    Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • There isn’t much redeeming value in this music, something Táparo is well aware of.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Many members of the Venezuelan opposition, Straka said, have long relished calling out government supporters for treating Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s predecessor, as a messiah, but they can be faulted for believing, with similar fervor, that American salvation is coming.
    Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
  • At the film's center is Ingrid Luna/Aurora/the Spider Woman, the arbiter of Molina's salvation and the bearer of the kiss of death.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Fame is perhaps this tower, an ultimate entrapment in the self that is also a deliverance from it.
    Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
  • After having little luck finding a traditional TV outlet willing to double ESPN/ABC’s current $90 million/year deal, F1 seems to have found deliverance by way of its theatrical partner.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ransom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransom. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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