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
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
That old story survived the reevaluation of war that took place during the Enlightenment; the transformation of the modern battlefield by mass mobilization and factory-scale killing in the twentieth century; and now, the separation between killer and target facilitated by technology.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Apa's character, Archie Andrews, was attacked by a bear after escaping from an underground prison fight club; Reinhart's Betty discovered her father was a serial killer and saved her sister from a cult; and Mendes traveled back in time to invent birth control.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
This is especially true of the spooky dolls like Chucky from the Child’s Play franchise, who is a serial killer turned into a children’s toy by way of Voodoo, a religious tradition that blends Yoruba, Congolese, and Catholic beliefs and practices.
—Essence, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer
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Noun
The killer was subsequently found guilty of six murders and received six death sentences.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
That old story survived the reevaluation of war that took place during the Enlightenment; the transformation of the modern battlefield by mass mobilization and factory-scale killing in the twentieth century; and now, the separation between killer and target facilitated by technology.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Apa's character, Archie Andrews, was attacked by a bear after escaping from an underground prison fight club; Reinhart's Betty discovered her father was a serial killer and saved her sister from a cult; and Mendes traveled back in time to invent birth control.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
This is especially true of the spooky dolls like Chucky from the Child’s Play franchise, who is a serial killer turned into a children’s toy by way of Voodoo, a religious tradition that blends Yoruba, Congolese, and Catholic beliefs and practices.
—Essence, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer
Cite this Entry
“Killer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killer. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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