Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use ransom in a sentence

19 example sentences · noun, verb

Ransom means money paid for the freeing of a hostage. Example: “They were held for two million dollars ransom.”

Examples of ransom by meaning

nounMoney paid for the freeing of a hostage.

  • They were held for two million dollars ransom.
  • They were held to ransom.

nounThe release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.

  • prisoners hopeless of ransom

verbTo pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.

  • to ransom prisoners from an enemy

More sentences with ransom

  • The ransom letter contained many misspelled words.From the entry misspelled
  • Except that Clarissa Astley would not have been decked out in a king's ransom of diamonds.2010, Jane Feather, Rushed to the Altar, Pocket Books, published 2010, →ISBN, page 386. From the entry king's ransom
  • But no ransom demand was ever made and no body was ever found.2003, B.J. Daniels [pseudonym; Barbara Johnson Heinlein], Mountain Sheriff (Harlequin Intrigue, 744; Cascades Concealed, 1), Don Mills…. From the entry no body
  • If you think I withheld the ransom for the glory of France, you're all wet.1966, Robert Hogan, Saint Jane. From the entry all wet
  • When he passed Hsiang-ch'eng (項城), he captured many people who were ransomed by payment in horses.[1954, Siang-tseh Chiang, “The Organization of the Nien”, in The Nien Rebellion (Far Eastern and Russian Institute Publications on Asia)…. From the entry Xiangcheng
  • A few Christians have been killed, others carried away captive and held to ransom."1931, E. F. E. Wigram, “The Fukien Diocese and Mission”, in Weapons that Win: Being the C. M. S. Story of the Year, 1930-31, London…. From the entry Kienyang
  • This was effected by a ransom payment insignificant as compared with the paint-pony's joy.1922, Ethel Smith Dorrance, James French Dorrance, Lonesome Town. From the entry togethership
  • Digital assets are their targets for extracting ransoms in millions.2020 February, Paritosh Basu, “DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION – RISK ENABLED PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE”, in The Management Accountant…. From the entry innovent
  • It had more ransom artists and child touchers.2018 August 7, Koren Zailckas, The Drama Teacher: A Novel, Crown, →ISBN, →OCLC. From the entry child toucher
  • King’s ransoms were offered for its solution.2005, Michael R. Matthews, Colin F. Gauld, Arthur Stinner, “The Pendulum: Its Place in Science, Culture and Pedagogy”, in Michael R.…. From the entry king's ransom
  • The ransom was to be propaganda: a broadcast on Norwegian television of the anti-abortion shockumentary, The Silent Scream.2000, Peter Schjeldahl, “A Theft in Norway: March 8, 1994”, in Deborah Chasman, Edna Chiang, editors, Drawing Us In: How We Experience…. From the entry shockumentary
  • Harding was contacted by the catnappers, and arrangements were made for him to pay a ransom and recover the animal.1999, Elane Osborn, The Cop and Calamity Jane, page 103. From the entry catnapper
  • The granddaughter of the famed Kwagiulth carver Ellen Neel says the private sale of three totem poles created by her late grandmother "feels like ransom."2018 July 13, Chantelle Bellrichard, “Granddaughter of famed Kwagiulth carver questions private sale of totem poles”, in CBC News. From the entry Kwagiulth
  • Long before email and SMS, the pneumatic post was the quickest way to send a written message of condolence, a declaration of love or even a demand for ransom.2021, Jacob Paskins, “Pneumatic Postal System”, in Barbara Penner, Adrian Forty, Olivia Horsfall Turner, Miranda Critchley, editors…. From the entry pneumatic post
  • The group operating where we were was called the "Abu Sayyaf" and specialised in K&R (kidnap and ransom), usually of tourists who would finish up beheaded on TV.2005, Paul Carter, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, page 94. From the entry tourist

Meaning of ransom

  1. noun Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
  2. noun The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
  3. noun A sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.

Full definition of ransom

Questions about ransom in a sentence

How do you use ransom in a sentence?
Ransom is used as a noun and verb. For example: “They were held for two million dollars ransom.”
What is a short sentence with ransom?
“prisoners hopeless of ransom”
What does ransom mean?
Ransom means money paid for the freeing of a hostage.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: ransom (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use ransom in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/ransom. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.