killing

play

noun kill·ing \ ˈki-liŋ \

Definition of killing

1 :the act of one that kills

2 :kill 2a

3 :a sudden notable gain or profit

made a killing in the stock market

See killing defined for English-language learners

See killing defined for kids

Examples of killing in a Sentence

The oil spill is responsible for the killing of thousands of birds.

Recent Examples of killing from the Web

More than that, bringing additional cases to trial would help determine exactly what happened in those killings and provide some closure for families, Koziolek said.

— david rising, The Seattle Times, "Prosecutors expect to charge German nurse with more killings," 29 Aug. 2017
Dearman was charged with the killings of Robert Lee Brown, 26; Chelsea Marie Reed, 22; Justin Kaleb Reed, 23; Joseph Adam Turner, 26; Shannon Melissa Randall, 35.

— prescotte stokes iii, AL.com, "Accused killer in Citronelle mass murders seeks to undergo mental evaluation," 29 Aug. 2017
Emmett's killing is considered a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement after his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, insisted on an open casket during his funeral.

— paula rogo, Essence.com, "Emmett Till Was Murdered 62 Years Ago, But Sadly, America Is More Of The Same," 28 Aug. 2017
Police and prosecutors are encouraging anyone who has more information that could lead to physical evidence — such as the gun used in the killings — or to more witnesses who could testify in court, to contact police.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Charges dropped in 2016 Aberdeen double homicide," 25 Aug. 2017
Silver was sentenced for the killing of 62-year-old Solmeus Accimeus, a security guard who was shot at point-blank range outside a North Miami-Dade restaurant in December 2006.

— david ovalle, miamiherald, "Man who murdered Gables jogger, Miami-Dade security guard gets life, not death," 21 Aug. 2017
Soon after the killing of nine black worshippers, a photograph of the shooter, Dylann Roof, was circulated showing Roof waving a Confederate flag.

— melissa reinert, Cincinnati.com, "New 'Rebels' logo replaces Confederate mascot at Boone Co. High School," 21 Aug. 2017
Miller faces a charge of first-degree murder for the killing of Baxter.

— Bloomberg.com, "Suspect in Killings of Two Florida Officers Arrested at Bar," 19 Aug. 2017
One of the other witnesses to Powe’s killing was already dead.

— john diedrich, jsonline.com, "'No face, no case': How one man tried to permanently silence the witnesses to his crimes," 18 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'killing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of killing

15th century

killing

adjective

Definition of killing

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

—

killingly

play \ˈki-liŋ-lē\ adverb

Examples of killing in a Sentence

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