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.

"I'm too poor to be kidnapped," said the woman checking us in to our hotel.

From BBC

It is not clear when Emily's attempted kidnap was first linked to Victoria's case.

From BBC

The family of the kidnapped mother of a top US TV news anchor made a new plea for information from her captors on Thursday, after investigators said they believed the 84-year-old was still alive.

From Barron's

“This is like something from 1940s with a very public kidnapping playing out in the media,” Bercovici said.

From Los Angeles Times

The governor said he had been in regular contact with President Bola Tinubu over the kidnappings.

From Barron's

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