killing

noun

kill·ing | \ ˈki-liŋ

\

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

For the most part, everything that people are typically taught about Thanksgiving is wrong — unless craft hour is skipped over and they're taught that Thanksgiving is a holiday with roots in the mass killings of millions of Indigenous peoples. — Maka Monture, Teen Vogue, "10 Films That Show How the U.S. Has Mistreated Native Americans and Alaska Natives," 22 Nov. 2018 Concerns have been raised that the latest anti-drug drives are a front for a campaign of extrajudicial killings. — Vidhi Doshi, Washington Post, "138 people killed in 2 months in Bangladesh police crackdown on drug dealers," 12 July 2018 The trial took place in Munich because five of the killings took place in Bavaria. — Erik Kirschbaum, latimes.com, "German Neo-Nazi found guilty of murder in execution-style slayings of migrants," 11 July 2018 The youngest man arrested, who was underage at the time of the alleged killings, was scheduled to be arraigned in juvenile court on Monday. — Nashelly Chavez, sacbee, "Murder charges filed in case of missing Yolo County teens," 11 June 2018 Police said evidence connected all of the killings. — Rachel Leingang, azcentral, "Phoenix-area law firms bolster security after shootings shake legal community," 4 June 2018 In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a stunning report revealing that half of the killings of American women are tied to intimate partner violence. — Mekita Rivas, Glamour, "Mollie Tibbetts' Killing Isn't About Women Jogging. It's About Violence Against Us.," 24 Aug. 2018 But the statements by witnesses, contained in prosecutors’ files about the Twelve Apostles that were reviewed by The New York Times, offer firsthand accounts of killings that ravaged the ranch and the surrounding area in the 1990s. — New York Times, "In Colombian Death Ranch Case, Some Fear Prosecution Will Be Buried," 8 July 2018 Despite allegations of abuse and negligence, school officials, police and social workers lost track of the child before his killing. — Richard Winton, latimes.com, "Authorities had previously visited home where boy was found dead under suspicious circumstances," 22 June 2018

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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Statistics for killing

Last Updated

17 Jan 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

: a large amount of money

See the full definition for killing in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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