kidnap
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.
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Wrote another, of the scammers: They “basically psychologically kidnap you.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
"I thought they were going to kidnap us. I ran to a taco stand to take cover with the people there," Medina told AFP.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
At the same time, bald eagles were rumored to sometimes kidnap human babies and fly away with them in their talons.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026
Wright's legal team had argued that there was insufficient evidence of an attempted kidnap, but a judge ruled against them.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
“Let’s go over what happens if somebody tries to kidnap you,” Libby says.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
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When a Frenchman kidnaps a woman from the rival town, his mother and her fellow villagers react with outrage and indignation, less at the abduction itself than at his apparent interest in a German woman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
The Ramayana depicts the victory of Hindu god Ram over the demon king Ravana after the latter kidnaps his wife, Sita.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2023
“This case shows that the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to track down anyone who kidnaps a U.S. citizen abroad,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2022
Bernini leaves Pluto dazed, off-balance, faltering, reminding us that Cupid’s arrow kidnaps his agency, too.
From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2022
Sarah and Jack and the clover elves are just about to celebrate their victory over the troll army when an ogre kidnaps Jack and sweeps him off to the hobgoblin king’s castle.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office identified the remains as that of Sharon Lee Gallegos, who was reported kidnaped on July 21, 1960, thanks to advanced DNA technology.
From Fox News ● Mar. 16, 2022
The multi-state search for her and the five-year search for who reportedly kidnaped her diverted resources from other cases, Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson said.
From Fox News ● Mar. 8, 2022
But when two West Germans were kidnaped in Beirut a few days after Hamadei's arrest, the government began temporizing.
From Time Magazine Archive
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In Britain intelligence officials believe they have identified the man holding Terry Waite, the Anglican envoy kidnaped 20 months ago while trying to negotiate the release of other hostages.
From Time Magazine Archive
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No use saying they were honest workingmen kidnaped to sea.
From The Blood Ship by Norman Springer
Nigeria's security forces have recorded a recent success in rescuing kidnapped victims.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Nigeria's army has said it safely rescued 33 people after they were kidnapped by armed men while travelling through the country's north-western Zamfara state.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Following an ex-secret agent who is kidnapped by an unknown persecutor, Patrick McGoohan’s 1967 series creates a surreal atmosphere of surveillance that remains relevant today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
This time around, Enola’s impending wedding is interrupted when she learns Sherlock’s been kidnapped and needs rescuing.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
GINNY: Harry, he was kidnapped by a powerful Dark witch, how can that be your fault?
From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling
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Pankey’s attorney, Anthony Viorst, countered that prosecutors’ circumstantial evidence, Pankey’s overbearing personality and his obsession with “true crime” mysteries is not enough to convict him of kidnaping and murder.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2021
The Foleys also said some responsibility lies with American members of the media who failed to continue reporting on Foley's kidnaping, letting it fall out of the news cycle.
From US News ● Feb. 26, 2015
A new movie, Heartbreak Hotel, imagines a '70s teenager kidnaping Elvis to impress his mom, and Elvis: An American Musical is touring the country this fall.
From Time Magazine Archive
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But the joy of the long- awaited homecoming was muted by signs that a total recovery from the kidnaping incident will be a difficult process for the Duartes and the country.
From Time Magazine Archive
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He had never been quite sure about Major de Coverley, either, who, when he was not away renting apartments or kidnaping foreign laborers, had nothing more pressing to do than pitch horseshoes.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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Within days of Rideout's kidnapping, the US warned its citizens against travelling to Niger due to an "increased risk of terrorism, crime and civil unrest".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Unlike Simpson’s case, which ended in acquittals, the kidnapping attracted a new generation of amateur sleuths, livestreaming hours of content, conjecture and rumor each day to hundreds of thousands of online followers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Authorities stressed they have not confirmed that claim and continue to investigate the case as an active kidnapping.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
US television star journalist Savannah Guthrie made an emotional appeal Saturday for anyone with information about her mother's disappearance to come forward, saying "we are begging for help" six months after the kidnapping took place.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
“Ratchett, as you suspected, was merely an alias. Ratchett was Cassetti, the man who ran the celebrated kidnapping stunts—including the famous affair of little Daisy Armstrong.”
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
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Vocabulary lists containing kidnap
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