kidnapped also kidnaped ˈkid-ˌnapt 
; kidnapping also kidnaping
; kidnapping also kidnaping
: to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom
kidnapper noun
or less commonly kidnaper
Examples of kidnap in a Sentence
the child of the wealthy industrialist was kidnapped and held for ransom
Recent Examples on the Web
All of it led Clemente to theorize that Guthrie was kidnapped by just one person. —
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 25 Apr. 2026 Investigators believe Horner planned to kidnap and murder Athena. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026 Investigators subsequently learned she had been kidnapped at knifepoint and taken from her bedroom by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026 The defense has wrapped its first week presenting testimony in the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner, the former FedEx contract driver who admitted to kidnapping and killing 7‑year‑old Athena Strand in Wise County in 2022. —Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kidnap
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.
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 25 Apr. 2026 Investigators believe Horner planned to kidnap and murder Athena. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026 Investigators subsequently learned she had been kidnapped at knifepoint and taken from her bedroom by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026 The defense has wrapped its first week presenting testimony in the capital murder trial of Tanner Horner, the former FedEx contract driver who admitted to kidnapping and killing 7‑year‑old Athena Strand in Wise County in 2022. —Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kidnap
Cite this Entry
“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/kidnap. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
Etymology
probably back-formation from kidnapper, from kid child + obsolete napper thief
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
