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
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Recent Examples of abduct
As Will Byers, audiences watched with rapt attention as the young lad was abducted into the Upside Down, falling victim to the Mind Flayer.
—
Maria Yagoda, People.com, 21 June 2025
Within 48-hours of his release, Khalil was back on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, addressing supporters and even protesting outside of Columbia University’s gates, not far from where he had been abducted in March.
—Steven W. Thrasher
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Waves of protests continued throughout the year, and in the final weeks of 2024, at least 10 young activists were abducted.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 20 June 2025
Weekend picks Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: The latest Pixar movie, Elio, follows a lonely 11-year-old orphan who believes that being abducted by aliens is his only path to happiness.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abduct
Maria Yagoda, People.com, 21 June 2025
Within 48-hours of his release, Khalil was back on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, addressing supporters and even protesting outside of Columbia University’s gates, not far from where he had been abducted in March.
—Steven W. Thrasher
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Waves of protests continued throughout the year, and in the final weeks of 2024, at least 10 young activists were abducted.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 20 June 2025
Weekend picks Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: The latest Pixar movie, Elio, follows a lonely 11-year-old orphan who believes that being abducted by aliens is his only path to happiness.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abduct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abduct
kidnap
Verb
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The Haitian population is being exploited, raped, kidnapped, and recruited by armed gangs.—
Jacqueline Charles
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
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The Amber Alert system got its start in 1996; Amber stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and brutally murdered.—
Liz Kellar,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abduct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abduct. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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