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Definition of "kidnap" []

  • To seize and detain unlawfully and usually for ransom. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "kidnap" in a sentence
  • "I think the word kidnap even surprised him: he thought wee Siobhan was still missing."
  • "As the programme says, the issue – having such a high-profile person in a war zone where kidnap is common – must have been assessed and debated."
  • "In Prince Harry's case, protocol says that the first people called aren't MI5 or MI6 but the Met Police because kidnap is a crime, not a military matter."