assassination

noun

as·sas·si·na·tion ə-ˌsa-sə-ˈnā-shən

plural assassinations

: murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons : the act or an instance of assassinating someone (such as a prominent political leader)

the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

an assassination attempt

In medieval days, assassination by poisoning was common enough to alarm many a king, and protection was sought in the form of prayers, food tasters and science.—

The New York Times

: treacherous destruction of a person's reputation

character assassination

Examples of assassination in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Polls show the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is incredibly close, a toss-up in an eventful campaign that included a last-minute candidate change after President Joe Biden dropped out and two apparent assassination attempts. —

Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024 And both have been the targets of Israeli assassination attempts in the past. —

Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 As if to rebut the doubters, Trump appeared in early October at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the scene of the first assassination attempt against him, alongside his wealthiest benefactor, Musk. —

Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024 The 2024 campaign cycle has seen two assassination attempts, both against former President Donald Trump. —

Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for assassination

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assassination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.