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.

Nigeria's federal government described the latest release as a "moment of triumph and relief", after one of the country's worst mass kidnappings.

From BBC

Washington has accused Venezuela of using oil money to fund drug-related crime, while Venezuela has described the tanker seizures as "theft and kidnapping".

From BBC

“Do this tomorrow. Open an international humanitarian corridor to Sweida. Bring people back to their homes. Return the kidnapped. Simple,” Tarif said.

From Los Angeles Times

Against the backdrop of recent kidnappings, governors and traditional chiefs from 19 northern states recently dubbed illegal mining a "major contributory factor to the security crises".

From Barron's

“That scares me, seeing on TV that there are more kidnappings,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

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