1
: the act of one that kills
2
3
: a sudden notable gain or profit
made a killing in the stock market
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
Synonyms
Examples of killing in a Sentence
Noun
The oil spill is responsible for the killing of thousands of birds.
Adjective
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2024
McDaniel is also charged with murder in the killings of two other people within days of the mass shooting, police said.
—Melissa Alonso, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan. 2022
For the few pests that do show up, first spray with non-killing repellents such as garlic and garlic pepper tea.
—Howard Garrett, Dallas News, 26 July 2021
See all Example Sentences for killing 
Noun
His body was found in a South Carolina swamp days after the killing and was identified through dental records.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2024
McDaniel is also charged with murder in the killings of two other people within days of the mass shooting, police said.
—Melissa Alonso, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The anti-trapping, anti-killing anything movement has also taken a toll.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan. 2022
For the few pests that do show up, first spray with non-killing repellents such as garlic and garlic pepper tea.
—Howard Garrett, Dallas News, 26 July 2021
See all Example Sentences for killing
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'killing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near killing
Cite this Entry
“Killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killing. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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