abduct

verb

ab-ˈdəkt How to pronounce abduct (audio)
Definition of abductnext
as in to kidnap
to carry away (as a person) forcibly or unlawfully the gangsters planned to abduct the industrialist's young daughter and demand a huge ransom from her family

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of abduct The second note claimed that Nancy had died shortly after being abducted, NBC News previously reported. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 According to prosecutors, the victims were abducted three days after cash and luxury items, including Rolex watches and Louis Vuitton bags, were reported stolen from Arnold at an Airbnb rental in the Tampa area. — John Hanna, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026 Media attention on the case has waned considerably since mid-February, ⁠when the sheriff ​and FBI released surveillance footage of an armed prowler in a ski mask shown tampering with Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera shortly ​before she was abducted. — Jana Winter, USA Today, 1 July 2026 In February 2023, Egianus Kogoya, a regional commander in the Free Papua Movement, abducted Philip Mark Mehrtens, a pilot from Christchurch, New Zealand, who was working for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for abduct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abduct
kidnap
Verb
  • Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped from West Africa as a child and brought to Boston aboard a slave ship.
    — Robin Follman, Oc Register, 4 July 2026
  • Her existential crisis is cut short when Sherlock Holmes is kidnapped, thrusting Enola into a new mystery set in Malta.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of kidnap

Browse Nearby Words

abdomens
abduct
abducted
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Cite this Entry

“Abduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abduct. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on abduct

Nglish: Translation of abduct for Spanish Speakers

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