abduction
noun
ab·duc·tion
ab-ˈdək-shən 
əb-
Examples of abduction in a Sentence
discredited reports of abductions by aliens
Recent Examples on the Web
What happened earlier Thursday Law enforcement officers had been looking for Manning, who was wanted in the abduction of his daughter, Giuliana Manning, about 11:20 p.m. Thursday from a home just outside of Riverside in unincorporated Platte County.
—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, ended 15 months of war triggered by Hamas' 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of approximately 250 hostages.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Kyiv estimates 20,000 Ukrainian kids have been forcibly taken to Russia – the International Criminal Court has charged Putin with approving their abductions – with only a fraction returned.
—Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
Following their abduction, a photo of Kfir holding a pink elephant toy and looking directly at the camera with a toothless smile has been featured in numerous campaigns and protests around the world.
—Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abduction
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Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, ended 15 months of war triggered by Hamas' 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of approximately 250 hostages.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Kyiv estimates 20,000 Ukrainian kids have been forcibly taken to Russia – the International Criminal Court has charged Putin with approving their abductions – with only a fraction returned.
—Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
Following their abduction, a photo of Kfir holding a pink elephant toy and looking directly at the camera with a toothless smile has been featured in numerous campaigns and protests around the world.
—Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abduction
Articles Related to abduction
Cite this Entry
“Abduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abduction. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
abduction
noun
ab·duc·tion
ab-ˈdək-shən, əb-
1
a
: the action of abducting
abduction of a robbery victim
b
: the tort or felony of abducting a person
2
: the unlawful carrying away of a wife or female child or ward for the purpose of marriage or sexual intercourse
Note: Sense 2 has its roots in common law. As statutorily defined, mainly in the nineteenth century, abduction was generally stated to include taking away or detention of a woman under a certain age, usually 16 or 18, with or without her consent or knowledge of her age.
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