ransom 1 of 2

verb

Definition of ransomnext
as in to save
to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price the prince emptied the treasury to ransom his son from the kidnappers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

ransom

2 of 2

noun

as in recovery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb ransom contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ransom are deliver, reclaim, redeem, rescue, and save. While all these words mean "to set free from confinement or danger," ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

When is deliver a more appropriate choice than ransom?

The words deliver and ransom are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

In what contexts can reclaim take the place of ransom?

The meanings of reclaim and ransom largely overlap; however, reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

When is it sensible to use redeem instead of ransom?

The synonyms redeem and ransom are sometimes interchangeable, but redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

When might rescue be a better fit than ransom?

In some situations, the words rescue and ransom are roughly equivalent. However, rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

Where would save be a reasonable alternative to ransom?

The words save and ransom can be used in similar contexts, but save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

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 ransom
Verb
They were taken by speedboats to the jungles of the southern Philippine province of Sulu, where they were held in harsh conditions before being mostly ransomed off using millions of dollars reportedly provided by then-Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi. — Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024 Nestor explains that the employee sold him out to some Haitians, who stole his product and now want to ransom it back to him. — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 June 2024
Noun
With French warships threatening invasion, France, in 1825, demanded a ransom of 150 million gold francs, later reduced to 90 million, to compensate white settlers and slave owners for lost profits in what was once France’s richest Caribbean colony. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025 Police officers freed the founder of a French cryptocurrency company, Ledger, and his wife after they were kidnapped and held for ransom. — David Leonhardt, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ransom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ransom
  1. save
  2. recovery
  3. rescue
  4. redemption
  5. redeem
  6. salvation
  7. deliverance
Verb
  • The Royals are expected to give Estévez a fair amount of save opportunities alongside Lucas Erceg.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2025
  • If captured correctly, these fees can reduce your taxable income and save you on taxes.
    — Shehan Chandrasekera, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of save
Noun
  • Benintendi suffered the injury on Feb. 27, with an initial recovery timeline of four to six weeks.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Lovell recalls being belowdecks aboard the recovery vessel USS Wasp shortly after splashdown and being evaluated by a NASA psychologist.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of recovery
Verb
  • So Nate decides to use his congenital insensitivity to pain (ICP) to his advantage and rescue the girl of his dreams.
    — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie from Ketchup Entertainment, turned indie after being rescued from Warner Bros., opened to $3.17 million on 2,827 screens.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of rescue
Noun
  • One of Smith’s favorite redemption stories is one of a mom who was deep in addiction with meth and other issues.
    — Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The Hoosiers, having lost to the Ducks 73-64 in their previous meeting on March 5, have an opportunity for redemption with significant financial consequences attached to the outcome.
    — Brian Roberts, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of redemption
Verb
  • Best of all, travelers can also redeem Alaska Air Mileage Plan frequent flyer miles for the one-way deals on select flights as low as 4,500 miles.
    — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025
  • UConn won last year’s meeting in Portland 80-73 as the 3-seed, but USC redeemed itself with a 72-70 upset of the Huskies in Hartford on Dec. 21 this season.
    — Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of redeem
Noun
  • Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other and their own personal demons on the path to salvation.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Carmichael criticized Christianity for pacifying the oppressed by focusing on suffering and salvation in the afterlife rather than justice in the present.
    — Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
Definition of salvation
Noun
  • His corpse is down the street from a brothel, and below a billboard advertisement for a priest who promises miracles and deliverance.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Some in cardinal and gold waited for deliverance, as if it was assured for USC.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of deliverance

Phrases Containing ransom

Browse Nearby Words

ransom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ransom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ransom. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on ransom

Nglish: Translation of ransom for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All