kiss of death
noun phrase
: something (such as an act or association) ultimately causing ruin
The movie has a G rating, which is almost a kiss of death. Last year, fewer than 2% of new films were rated G, and nearly all of those were animated.—
Sports Illustrated
—usually used with theSports IllustratedNot long ago, when I proposed to my agent that she champion a book of mine as a work of literature instead of trying to present it as a "Sixties memoir," she told me, with a rueful laugh, that in publishing circles nowadays the "L" word is the kiss of death.—Joel Agee
Joel Agee… a faraway region whose populations are so deeply anti-Western that any government cooperation with America can be the kiss of death …—Alan Tonelson
Alan TonelsonExamples of kiss of death in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Inauthenticity is a kiss of death with today’s voters, and Vance’s future prospects appear to be dimming as Americans watch him shape-shift in real time.
—Sarah Longwell, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The kiss of death, a spicy sushi roll from Nakato.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 28 Mar. 2026
This could be the kiss of death for a company marketing itself as a way for models to get paid directly by their fans.
—Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Trump’s endorsement may now be the kiss of death.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
While being swept out of the castle, Arocho insisted to his fellow Faithfuls that Rinna gave him a kiss of death.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
But if Saturdays have long been the kiss of death for scripted TV—hence the night’s redlined status as a dumping ground for repeats—such considerations fly out the nearest window when a major sports title is on the line.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
That’s the kiss of death for your paper.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 Dec. 2025
At the film's center is Ingrid Luna/Aurora/the Spider Woman, the arbiter of Molina's salvation and the bearer of the kiss of death.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
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Sarah Longwell, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The kiss of death, a spicy sushi roll from Nakato.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 28 Mar. 2026
This could be the kiss of death for a company marketing itself as a way for models to get paid directly by their fans.
—Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Trump’s endorsement may now be the kiss of death.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
While being swept out of the castle, Arocho insisted to his fellow Faithfuls that Rinna gave him a kiss of death.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
But if Saturdays have long been the kiss of death for scripted TV—hence the night’s redlined status as a dumping ground for repeats—such considerations fly out the nearest window when a major sports title is on the line.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
That’s the kiss of death for your paper.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 Dec. 2025
At the film's center is Ingrid Luna/Aurora/the Spider Woman, the arbiter of Molina's salvation and the bearer of the kiss of death.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kiss of death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kiss%20of%20death. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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