slaying

noun

slay·​ing ˈslā-iŋ How to pronounce slaying (audio)
plural slayings
Synonyms of slayingnext
: the act of killing a person : killing, murder
used chiefly in journalistic writing
a gangland slaying
Sunday's slayings bring to 14 the number of killings this year in what police call gang-related attacks.Peter Stein
He is accused of ordering the 1989 slayings and robberies of three drug dealers …Joseph P. Fried

Examples of slaying in a Sentence

a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Polish prosecutors have not attributed the slaying to Moscow and Poland's Internal Security Agency did not immediately reply to a request for comment. ABC News, 16 June 2026 An attorney for Espinal declined to comment on his arrest in Jeremy’s slaying. Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026 Mexican authorities investigate the slaying of San Miguel Amatitlan Mayor Joel Bravo Martínez in Oaxaca, shot weeks after pleading for state protection amid escalating threats, his party says. Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026 Evers' death, the first slaying of a national leader in the movement, helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for slaying

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slaying was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaying. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

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