killing

noun

kill·ing | \ ˈki-liŋ

How to pronounce killing (audio)

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Definition of killing

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the act of one that kills

2 : kill sense 2a

3 : a sudden notable gain or profit made a killing in the stock market

killing

adjective

Definition of killing (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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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: Noun

And yet the Muslim Brotherhood is far from extinct, despite the mass arrests and arbitrary killings. — Tim Lister, CNN, "Mohamed Morsy: A polarizing legacy," 17 June 2019 The Yavapai County Sheriff's office arrested 19-year-old Jonathan Rice for the shooting and killing of a 16-year-old girl on Sunday in Chino Valley. — Molly Hudson, azcentral, "19-year-old man arrested after fatally shooting a 16-year-old girl in Chino Valley on Sunday," 17 June 2019 As indiscriminate killing swept the country, tens of thousands of people escaped to Uganda. — Nina Strochlic, National Geographic, "In Uganda, a unique urban experiment is under way," 17 June 2019 The police refused to investigate the killings, claiming that Olimpia’s husband had shot her and then himself. — Sarah Stillman, The New Yorker, "How Families Separated at the Border Could Make the Government Pay," 15 June 2019 Prior to Spears' killing, HRC tracked nine murders of transgender people so far in 2019. — Tim Fitzsimons, NBC News, "Second transgender woman murdered in Washington suburb in three months," 14 June 2019 Between 1850 and 1950, thousands of African American men, women and children were victims of lynchings: public torture and killings carried out by white mobs. — Kelebogile Zvobgo, The Conversation, "Maryland has created a truth commission on lynchings – can it deliver?," 14 June 2019 Police statistics show that four homicide victims in St. Louis this year were age 16 or younger, equaling the number of child victims in 2018, when there were 187 total killings. — Jim Salter, chicagotribune.com, "St. Louis leaders express anger after shootings leave 4 children dead, 2 others injured over past week," 14 June 2019 Iris Chang, whose grandparents fled the massacre, documents the atrocities: the thousands of rapes, the bayonettings, the beheadings and the killing contests among the military—the Nanking River ran red with blood for days. — Brian Lamb, WSJ, "Five Best: Brian Lamb on Books That Pack a Punch," 14 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Police reports, witness statements and dispatch logs shared earlier have provided more detail about the confusion and heroism as the concert venue became a killing field. — Ken Ritter, Fox News, "Police release more video from officers at Vegas shooting," 13 June 2018 The disturbing confessions of a Louisiana man accused in three 2017 murders reveal a suspect who viewed a killing spree as similar to a deer hunt and who looked at victims as animals he was licensed to kill, police reports show. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "Louisiana man accused in three murders says he was filling hunting 'tags' for state police, FBI, officials say," 22 Aug. 2018 The release last week of about 2,100 pages of police reports, witness statements and dispatch logs provided more detail about the chaos, confusion and heroism as the concert venue became a killing field. — Washington Post, "Video shows police response, fleeing crowd at Vegas attack," 30 May 2018 The cast sculpture comprises two main pieces, interlocking where the mouth of the lion meets the neck of the dog — the killing moment frozen in time. — New York Times, "Charles Ray, Walking a Fine Line With a Hungry Lion," 13 May 2018 Earlier this year, a forensic linguist shed new light on letters supposedly written by the murderer during the killing spree that sent shockwaves through Victorian London. — James Rogers, Fox News, "Chilling 'I am Jack the Ripper' postcard resurfaces," 26 Apr. 2018 Grace believes Carl, who may have dementia, murdered her sister years ago during a killing spree. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "5 new mysteries to read this summer," 17 May 2018 The Riverside man also bought Farook an explosive powder that was used in a bomb that Farook left at the killing scene, authorities said. — Fox News, "25 years urged for buyer of rifles used in terror attack," 10 Apr. 2018 Prediction for the season: What's next for Salazar, the former Sombra Negra soldier who was last seen in the thick of a killing spree? — Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Fear the Walking Dead': Where Everyone Left Off and What's Next (After the Big Crossover)," 8 Apr. 2018

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.

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Dictionary Entries near killing

Statistics for killing

Last Updated

20 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for killing

The first known use of killing was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for killing

killing

noun

English Language Learners Definition of killing

: an act of killing someone or something

informal : a large amount of money

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