hostage

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Thirty-one civilians held hostage following a Sunday morning church attack in north-west Nigeria have been rescued, the army has said.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Wordle even helped to end a 17-hour hostage ordeal and became the most Googled word of 2022.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Coyle, from Colorado, was arrested in January 2025, according to the Foley Foundation, which advocates for the release of Americans taken hostage or arbitrarily detained abroad.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Last week, Lindsay Foreman’s son Joe was in Washington, lobbying the State Department’s office for hostage affairs to spotlight his mom’s case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

In 1613, Pocahontas was kidnapped by the settlers and held hostage.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone