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
Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last week left serious questions hanging over the future of aid delivery to the Gaza Strip.
—James Hider, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the hunter’s killing of the animal is under investigation.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024
His parents were arrested days afterward and accused of involuntary manslaughter for their role in the killings.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
More California Democrats are pushing for a ceasefire and potentially withholding military aid to Israel in its war against Hamas after the killings of seven food aid workers in Gaza.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
The United States has sent tens of thousands of weapons to the country since the Oct. 7 killings by Hamas attackers, but many were approved by Congress and the State Department long ago and funded with money mandated by the Obama-era agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The country continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killings.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Each unsolved killing in KCK — more than 280 — has received an initial review by the unit, which was created in early 2022, Chartrand said.
—Luke Nozicka, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 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
And Morgan put an end to his non-killing ways by chopping off the head of his bounty-hunting pursuer — stealing his axe and hat in the process.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Oct. 2020
The killing spree began in the cottage community of Portapique where Mr. Wortman owned several properties.
—New York Times, 20 Apr. 2020
The problem at hand is the novel coronavirus, and U.S. sanctions are aiding its killing spree in Iran.
—Bonnie Kristian, TheWeek, 18 Mar. 2020
In 2014, his daughter, Alex, was at the University of California, Santa Barbara when a gunman on a killing spree fatally shot three women outside her sorority house.
—James Barragán, Dallas News, 21 Feb. 2020
Keenan was the New York Police Department’s Chief of Detectives during the killing spree, which terrified the city in 1976 and 1977 as an unknown gunman stalked his victims with a .44 caliber handgun, killing six and wounding seven others.
—Michael R. Sisak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2019
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, 13 June 2018
Noun
Police killings of Black Americans including Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have prompted protests and a racial reckoning that translated into hundreds of bills aimed at curtailing law enforcement powers and reshaping policing.
—Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last week left serious questions hanging over the future of aid delivery to the Gaza Strip.
—James Hider, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the hunter’s killing of the animal is under investigation.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024
His parents were arrested days afterward and accused of involuntary manslaughter for their role in the killings.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
More California Democrats are pushing for a ceasefire and potentially withholding military aid to Israel in its war against Hamas after the killings of seven food aid workers in Gaza.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
The United States has sent tens of thousands of weapons to the country since the Oct. 7 killings by Hamas attackers, but many were approved by Congress and the State Department long ago and funded with money mandated by the Obama-era agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The country continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killings.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Each unsolved killing in KCK — more than 280 — has received an initial review by the unit, which was created in early 2022, Chartrand said.
—Luke Nozicka, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 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
And Morgan put an end to his non-killing ways by chopping off the head of his bounty-hunting pursuer — stealing his axe and hat in the process.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Oct. 2020
The killing spree began in the cottage community of Portapique where Mr. Wortman owned several properties.
—New York Times, 20 Apr. 2020
The problem at hand is the novel coronavirus, and U.S. sanctions are aiding its killing spree in Iran.
—Bonnie Kristian, TheWeek, 18 Mar. 2020
In 2014, his daughter, Alex, was at the University of California, Santa Barbara when a gunman on a killing spree fatally shot three women outside her sorority house.
—James Barragán, Dallas News, 21 Feb. 2020
Keenan was the New York Police Department’s Chief of Detectives during the killing spree, which terrified the city in 1976 and 1977 as an unknown gunman stalked his victims with a .44 caliber handgun, killing six and wounding seven others.
—Michael R. Sisak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2019
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, 13 June 2018
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.
Word History
Phrases Containing killing
Dictionary Entries Near killing
Cite this Entry
“Killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
killing
noun
kill·ing
ˈkil-iŋ
: a sudden large profit
More from Merriam-Webster on killing
Nglish: Translation of killing for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of killing for Arabic Speakers
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