variants
also kidnaping
as in hijacking
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnapping
Verb
-
The war, which has reduced much of the coastal enclave to rubble, began when thousands of Hamas operatives crossed into Israel, killing and abducting hundreds.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2025 -
The continuing attacks have been accompanied by the burning of buildings and a rise in kidnappings, with gang suspected of abducting people to use as human shields against police drone attacks.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Officers reviewed a surveillance video that confirmed the account of the abduction.—
Ariela Lopez,
jsonline.com,
21 July 2025
-
New York State Police now say there is no indication that an abduction happened.—
Stephen Sorace , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Kidnapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnapping. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share