1
: the flesh of slain animals or humans
a multitude of dogs came to feast on the carnage—
T. B. Macaulay
T. B. Macaulay2
: great and usually bloody slaughter or injury (as in battle)
the carnage of war
Synonyms
Examples of carnage in a Sentence
Reporters described the highway accident as a scene of carnage.
the appalling carnage in that war-torn country requires that the outside world intervene
Recent Examples on the Web
Like rapid fire bullets from an AK 47, American gun carnage is set to repeat.
—Sabrina Haake, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
The carnage isn’t the only thing that feels plucked from vintage grindhouse cinema.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2023
And hundreds gather along the route to cheer them on (or watch the carnage).
—oregonlive, 16 Aug. 2023
Jones said he's seen video of the carnage and can't shake images of his mother being fatally shot.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 16 Aug. 2023
In the carnage of our home was my 2007 strike sign.
—Todd Robinson, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up These makeshift machine guns — able to inflict indiscriminate carnage in seconds — are helping fuel the national epidemic of gun violence.
—Glenn Thrush, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
The carnage of World War II shattered America’s isolationist proposition.
—WIRED, 9 Aug. 2023
The riot started after rival gangs Barrio 18 and MS-13 clashed inside the facility early Tuesday morning, with attackers having smuggled in deadly weapons to the prison in order to maximize the carnage.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 28 June 2023
See More
Sabrina Haake, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
The carnage isn’t the only thing that feels plucked from vintage grindhouse cinema.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2023
And hundreds gather along the route to cheer them on (or watch the carnage).
—oregonlive, 16 Aug. 2023
Jones said he's seen video of the carnage and can't shake images of his mother being fatally shot.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 16 Aug. 2023
In the carnage of our home was my 2007 strike sign.
—Todd Robinson, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up These makeshift machine guns — able to inflict indiscriminate carnage in seconds — are helping fuel the national epidemic of gun violence.
—Glenn Thrush, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
The carnage of World War II shattered America’s isolationist proposition.
—WIRED, 9 Aug. 2023
The riot started after rival gangs Barrio 18 and MS-13 clashed inside the facility early Tuesday morning, with attackers having smuggled in deadly weapons to the prison in order to maximize the carnage.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 28 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carnage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Carnage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnage. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on carnage
Nglish: Translation of carnage for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of carnage for Arabic Speakers
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