abduction

noun

ab-ˈdək-shən How to pronounce abduction (audio)
Definition of abductionnext
as in kidnapping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal discredited reports of abductions by aliens

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 abduction Williams had allegedly conspired with three other individuals to fake his own abduction alongside hers, according to local reports of the incident. — Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Hanning came under scrutiny in a separate investigation into the abduction of Hamburg businesswoman Christina Block's children from her ex-husband in Denmark in January 2024 in a custody battle that had been going on for several years. — Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026 In his telling of the story, the abduction could have ended here. — Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Advertisement Meanwhile, Pi-o discovers through his private investigator that his mother was the one behind Jeong-yo’s abduction. — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abduction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abduction
  1. kidnapping
  2. rape
Noun
  • In 2011, Assad’s authorities were blamed for the kidnapping of senior Baath Party official Shibli al-Aysami from the Lebanese mountain town of Aley.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Devorise Carl Johnson, 21, now faces several charges, including first-degree murder and kidnapping with a weapon or firearm, according to an arrest form.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of kidnapping
Noun
  • Instagram direct messages to a University of Miami football player that included rape imagery, violent slavery imagery, three uses of the N-word and two uses of a homophobic slur are under investigation by the Florida Bar.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • This means that the larger social dynamics created by rape—even the prospect of rape—in small, intimate communities go unconsidered.
    — B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of rape

Browse Nearby Words

abducting
abduction
abductions
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Cite this Entry

“Abduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abduction. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on abduction

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about abduction

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