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
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
When the younger Cathy is a teenager, Heathcliff kidnaps her and forces her to marry the younger Linton (her first cousin), while simultaneously preventing her from seeing her dying father.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 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
Vahid reacts rather than thinks, through his need for vengeance, and kidnaps Eghbal in a van.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
When the younger Cathy is a teenager, Heathcliff kidnaps her and forces her to marry the younger Linton (her first cousin), while simultaneously preventing her from seeing her dying father.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 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
Vahid reacts rather than thinks, through his need for vengeance, and kidnaps Eghbal in a van.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kidnaps
abducts
Verb
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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
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Stolen Girl Premieres January 3 – 8p/7c Based on real-life events, Stolen Girl follows the journey of Maureen Danning (Beckinsale), whose life is shattered when her ex-husband, Karim, abducts their young daughter, Amina, and flees to the Middle East.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kidnaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kidnaps. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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