kidnaping

Verb

kidnap (third-person singular simple present kidnaps, present participle kidnapping or (rare, US only) kidnaping, simple past and past participle kidnapped or (rare, US only) kidnaped)

1. (transitive) To seize or detain a person unlawfully and move or conceal them; sometimes for ransom.
   • Hello, ladies! How’s the Big Apple?
     Rotten, Jerry! Clover's been kidnapped!
     Oh, dear! That's the second time this month!2002 September 6, Michelle and Robert Lamoreaux, “Model Citizens”, in Totally Spies!, season 1, episode 9, spoken by Alexandra “Alex” (Jess Harnell as Jerry and Katie Leigh), Marathon Media, via...

   Synonyms:

   informal, snatch

See all 2 meanings of kidnap

Noun

kidnapping (countable and uncountable, plural kidnappings)

1. (crime) The crime of taking a person against their will, sometimes for ransom.
   • The Kiryat Malachi native, who had been working as a bartender in Tel Aviv before his kidnapping, was last seen trying to hide next to a car as a terrorist fired a rocket-propelled grenade at him and a friend.2025 March 7, ToI staff, JTA, “The next 24: These are the remaining hostages presumed alive in Gaza”, in The Times of Israel, archived from the original on 03 Aug 2025