Synonyms

kidnap

American

[kid-nap] / ˈkɪd næp /

verb (used with object)

kidnapped, kidnaped, kidnapping, kidnaping

to steal, carry off, or abduct by force or fraud, especially for use as a hostage or to extract ransom.

Synonyms:

seize

kidnap British

/ ˈkɪdnæp /

verb

(tr) to carry off and hold (a person), usually for ransom

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

kidnapee noun
kidnaper noun
kidnappee noun
kidnapper noun
kidnapping noun
unkidnaped adjective
unkidnapped adjective

Etymology

Origin of kidnap

1675–85; kid ¹ + nap, variant of nab

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The FBI has released the first physical description of the man believed to have kidnapped Nancy Guthrie, the mother of US news anchor Savannah Guthrie.

From BBC

“We worry about falls and scams, not kidnappings,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal

The update comes amid breathless coverage of the kidnapping of the high-profile anchor's mother in a case that has gripped the country.

From Barron's

The FBI said Monday that it had not identified any suspects in the bizarre kidnapping case.

From Los Angeles Times

The news sparked an outcry, with Machado claiming he had been "kidnapped," and a US congresswoman warning of "grave consequences" if anything happened to him.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023