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hostage meaning and examples

2025-09-02

Meaning

A hostage is a person who is captured and kept as a prisoner by someone who demands something (such as money, release of prisoners, or political concessions) in return for releasing that person.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Noun

  • Countable: a hostage / hostages

  • Typical structure:

    • take/hold someone hostage
    • release/free a hostage
    • negotiate for hostages

Common Phrases

  • take someone hostage – to capture someone and keep them prisoner.
  • release the hostages – to set the hostages free.
  • hostage situation – an event where people are held against their will.
  • political hostage – someone used for political purposes.
  • held hostage – being kept as a prisoner or being unable to act freely (literal or figurative).

Collocations

  • take hostages
  • release hostages
  • hostage crisis
  • hostage negotiations
  • hostage rescue

Examples

  1. The rebels took several civilians hostage.
  2. The government is working to secure the release of the hostages.
  3. Armed police ended the hostage situation after long negotiations.
  4. She felt like a hostage to her own fears.
  5. The terrorists demanded money in exchange for the hostages.
  6. The soldiers managed to free the hostages without casualties.
  7. He was held hostage in a foreign country for months.
  8. The crisis became a major hostage drama on the evening news.
  • captive
  • prisoner
  • detainee
  • abductee
  • pawn