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
With a vibe that throws back to another era of studio comedies, the project tells of a psychologist couple whose parenting philosophy is put to the ultimate test when they’re forced to counsel a crime boss’s dysfunctional family while being held hostage at a hotel.
—
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Briarcliff Entertainment ‘s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, directed by Verbinski, follows a man claiming to be from the future who takes the patrons of an iconic Los Angeles diner hostage in search of unlikely recruits in a quest to save the world.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
The Kaduna Catholic church called for prayers for the victims and the safe release of the hostages.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
Brad, you have been involved in many hostage negotiations in your time at the FBI.
—ABC News, 8 Feb. 2026
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.
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Briarcliff Entertainment ‘s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, directed by Verbinski, follows a man claiming to be from the future who takes the patrons of an iconic Los Angeles diner hostage in search of unlikely recruits in a quest to save the world.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
The Kaduna Catholic church called for prayers for the victims and the safe release of the hostages.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
Brad, you have been involved in many hostage negotiations in your time at the FBI.
—ABC News, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hostage
Cite this Entry
“Hostage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostage. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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
