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
Authorities investigated the case for six years and later determined that Sherri had fabricated the abduction and had been hiding out at her ex-boyfriend James Reyes' apartment in Costa Mesa, Calif.
—
Caroline Blair, People.com, 26 May 2025
The name for this comes from the 2006 Adam Walsh Child Safety Act, enacted to prevent child abductions.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
The other senators are immediately abuzz, and Mothma has to be smuggled out of the spherical senate chamber to avoid abduction by a turncoat.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 21 May 2025
Because the actual abductions likely occurred in the trees, they were not captured on camera.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abduction
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Caroline Blair, People.com, 26 May 2025
The name for this comes from the 2006 Adam Walsh Child Safety Act, enacted to prevent child abductions.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
The other senators are immediately abuzz, and Mothma has to be smuggled out of the spherical senate chamber to avoid abduction by a turncoat.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 21 May 2025
Because the actual abductions likely occurred in the trees, they were not captured on camera.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abduction
Cite this Entry
“Abduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abduction. Accessed 1 Jun. 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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