grim reaper

noun

often capitalized G&R
: death especially when personified as a man or skeleton with a scythe

Examples of grim reaper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After Angelina’s literal implosion, a terrifying shadowy figure—a kind of grim reaper that bears resemblance to what happened with the Meth Heads—rises from the ashes, threatening all of the remaining passengers. Max Gao, ELLE, 5 June 2023 Mulligan stars as Cassie, a twentysomething former medical student who moonlights as the good guy grim reaper. Morgan Baila, refinery29.com, 11 Oct. 2021 Willy Wonka, bats, the grim reaper, and David Bowie mingle on the walls. Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 27 June 2023 The 29-year-old has become a cheerful grim reaper of financial fads, exposing swindlers for an audience now closing in on 3 million. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2023 Meet the traffic grim reaper. Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2023 We have indeed been visited by a grim reaper. Tess Taylor, CNN, 30 Oct. 2021 The story follows a female grim reaper who has been unleashing the most heinous tortures on sinners for over a century in order to earn enough credits for a first-class reincarnation. Patrick Frater, Variety, 24 Mar. 2023 In much of known culture, the grim reaper has been depicted as a terrifying skeletal figure who symbolizes our collective fear of mortality. Christian Holub, EW.com, 19 July 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grim reaper was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near grim reaper

Cite this Entry

“Grim reaper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grim%20reaper. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

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