1
a
: a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement
b
: a person taken by force to secure the taker's demands
2
: one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence
Examples of hostage in a Sentence
The terrorists demanded a plane and a pilot in exchange for the hostages.
The hostage crisis is now entering its second week.
The passengers were taken hostage.
They were held hostage for several days.
Recent Examples on the Web
At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive.
—
Crispian Balmer, USA Today, 13 July 2025
But the Israeli leader is also under mounting public pressure to end the war as hostages languish in captivity and more Israeli soldiers are killed in guerrilla-style attacks.
—Joseph Krauss, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Estelle has to lead crunch negotiations with the hostage takers and their ruthless leader to end the tense siege drama.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
The latest data from Netanyahu's office published last month said 50 hostages remained in the enclave, 28 of whom were classified as dead.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hostage
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Crispian Balmer, USA Today, 13 July 2025
But the Israeli leader is also under mounting public pressure to end the war as hostages languish in captivity and more Israeli soldiers are killed in guerrilla-style attacks.
—Joseph Krauss, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Estelle has to lead crunch negotiations with the hostage takers and their ruthless leader to end the tense siege drama.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
The latest data from Netanyahu's office published last month said 50 hostages remained in the enclave, 28 of whom were classified as dead.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hostage
Cite this Entry
“Hostage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostage. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hostage
noun
hos·tage
ˈhäs-tij 
: a person held captive as a pledge that promises will be kept or terms met by another
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