death squad

noun

: any of various extremist groups whose members kill suspected political adversaries and criminals

Examples of death squad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Emphasizing the role of militias and local death squads, officials claimed that the violence was the spontaneous product of communal conflict. Gary J. Bass, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018 Across the hemisphere, democracy was under assault and military governments and death squads waged dirty wars on civil society. Nara Milanich, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2022 This, in turn, exposed many clergy to political persecution, including Óscar Romero, the Salvadoran priest murdered by a right-wing death squad in 1980. Omar G. Encarnación, Time, 22 Apr. 2025 Correa is accused of participating in beatings, electrocutions and other forms of abuses while allegedly acting as part of a death squad operating under former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for death squad

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death squad was in 1873

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Death squad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20squad. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!