1
: one that kills
2
3
a
: one that has a forceful, violent, or striking impact
b
: one that is extremely difficult to deal with
1
: strikingly impressive or effective
a killer smile
a killer résumé
2
: extremely difficult to deal with
a killer fastball
also
: causing death or devastation
a killer tornado
Examples of killer in a Sentence
Noun
Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women.
The chemical is used as a weed killer.
Adjective
killer viruses that claimed millions of lives
a killer exercise program guaranteed to whip you into shape
Recent Examples on the Web
Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Summoned to the scene of a homicide one night, Kay discovers a body with links to a decades-old killer, a finding that calls into question her conclusions about a long-ago series of crimes.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Even if the film doesn’t co-sign her ideology, Ursula is the most nuanced of the ruthless killers, and Gellar is adept at digging into the character’s ambiguity and shifting priorities.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
More than a dozen scientists, meteorologists and disaster experts queried by The Associated Press put the March heat wave in a kind of ultra-extreme classification with such events as the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, the 2022 Pakistan floods and killer hurricanes Helene, Harvey and Sandy.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for killer
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Noun
The film follows a group of friends stalked by a killer wearing a Cupid mask in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Summoned to the scene of a homicide one night, Kay discovers a body with links to a decades-old killer, a finding that calls into question her conclusions about a long-ago series of crimes.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Even if the film doesn’t co-sign her ideology, Ursula is the most nuanced of the ruthless killers, and Gellar is adept at digging into the character’s ambiguity and shifting priorities.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
More than a dozen scientists, meteorologists and disaster experts queried by The Associated Press put the March heat wave in a kind of ultra-extreme classification with such events as the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, the 2022 Pakistan floods and killer hurricanes Helene, Harvey and Sandy.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for killer
Cite this Entry
“Killer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killer. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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