1
: the act of one that kills
2
3
: a sudden notable gain or profit
made a killing in the stock market
1
: that kills or relates to killing
2
: highly amusing
3
: extremely difficult to deal with
the suspense is killing
also
: calling for great strength, stamina, or endurance
a killing schedule
Synonyms of killing
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Adjective
Examples of killing in a Sentence
Noun
The oil spill is responsible for the killing of thousands of birds.
Adjective
he's usually quiet, but occasionally unleashes some killing remark that cracks everyone up
a killing schedule that requires the touring company to play in a different city every night
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Karmelo Anthony, now 19, did not testify in his own defense over the killing of Austin Metcalf, whose death stunned a booming Dallas suburb where the two students attended different schools.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
The anti-trapping, anti-killing anything movement has also taken a toll.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for killing
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Noun
The purpose and the extent of hunting were radically altered by the arrival of European guns and markets—the killing of wild animals became an occupation with commercial ends, for both whites and Indians; and wild hides and wild meat became the goods of an insatiable marketplace.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Karmelo Anthony, now 19, did not testify in his own defense over the killing of Austin Metcalf, whose death stunned a booming Dallas suburb where the two students attended different schools.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
Adjective
When forces from his past come for revenge, Mark needs to get himself out of the bind without killing anyone and ruining his non-killing streak.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
The anti-trapping, anti-killing anything movement has also taken a toll.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for killing
Cite this Entry
“Killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killing. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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