1
a
: a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement
b
: a person taken by force to secure the taker's demands
2
: one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence
Examples of hostage in a Sentence
The terrorists demanded a plane and a pilot in exchange for the hostages.
The hostage crisis is now entering its second week.
The passengers were taken hostage.
They were held hostage for several days.
Recent Examples on the Web
Around a third of some 80 people still held hostage in Gaza are believed to be dead.
—
Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
In doing so, motorists bypass National Road No. 2, where gangs make money charging exorbitant fees to trucks and buses — or by taking travelers hostage and demanding hefty ransoms.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2025
Kfir was just nine months when he was abducted, the youngest hostage taken on October 7.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
The whistleblower, whose identity is being withheld by Senate Democrats for fear of retaliation, worked with the FBI's Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, which leads the government's missions to rescue hostages overseas.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hostage 
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.
Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
In doing so, motorists bypass National Road No. 2, where gangs make money charging exorbitant fees to trucks and buses — or by taking travelers hostage and demanding hefty ransoms.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2025
Kfir was just nine months when he was abducted, the youngest hostage taken on October 7.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
The whistleblower, whose identity is being withheld by Senate Democrats for fear of retaliation, worked with the FBI's Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, which leads the government's missions to rescue hostages overseas.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hostage
Dictionary Entries Near hostage
Cite this Entry
“Hostage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostage. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hostage
noun
hos·tage
ˈhäs-tij 
: a person held captive as a pledge that promises will be kept or terms met by another
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share