as in saving
to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price
the prince emptied the treasury to ransom his son from the kidnappers
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Recent Examples of ransoming
Abu Sayyaf was particularly notorious for kidnapping and ransoming foreigners.
—
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransoming
Verb
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The Hortas were horrified to learn that Tania Hernandez, the owner of the small house where their friend was going hungry, was a social services worker for the state charged with the mission of saving frail, elderly and disabled adults like Rabell.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Kane County Health Department has partnered with community organizations to install publicly accessible naloxone dispensing boxes, making the life-saving medication easier to obtain quickly and discreetly.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Devastating flooding occurred in North Shore communities on Oahu, where homes were swept away and residents needed rescuing.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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But Emma said the Russian government showed little interest in rescuing her sister, pointing to Elizabeth's public opinions online as a human rights activist.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ransoming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransoming. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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