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
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
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
More than a year after the bodies were discovered, Alex, the once-prominent attorney, was indicted for the killings.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
The anti-trapping, anti-killing anything movement has also taken a toll.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for killing
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.
Noun
As a senior Hamas official defended the group’s crackdown on Palestinians in Gaza on Friday in an interview with Reuters, a Gazan lawyer in hiding from the terrorists warned that the killings of the group’s critics are continuing.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
More than a year after the bodies were discovered, Alex, the once-prominent attorney, was indicted for the killings.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
When forces from his past come for revenge, Mark needs to get himself out of the bind without killing anyone and ruining his non-killing streak.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
The anti-trapping, anti-killing anything movement has also taken a toll.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for killing
Cite this Entry
“Killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share