kill off

verb

killed off; killing off; kills off
Synonyms of kill offnext

transitive verb

: to destroy in large numbers or totally

Examples of kill off 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.
Thankfully, Sarah manages to best him and Zoë indirectly kills off Amos, who C (Hamza’s senior, played by Darren Boyd) had sent in as back-up. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Dec. 2025 The show has made a tradition of killing off supporting characters—Barb, Bob, Billy, Eddie—while sparing its central crew. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025 Gamers were all waiting to see the reaction of a general mainstream audience to The Last of Us killing off Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal). Ew Staff December 5, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Dec. 2025 On the flip side of that bad news, the Wild’s penalty kill — once the worst in the NHL, statistically — has killed off opponents’ last 20 man-advantage situations, moving them up to 20th in the league. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kill off

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kill off was in 1607

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Cite this Entry

“Kill off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kill%20off. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.

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