Definition of lynch
transitive verb
: to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal approval or permission The accused killer was lynched by an angry mob.
lyncher
nounPeople Are Reading
Examples of lynch in a Sentence
The accused killer was lynched by an angry mob.
Recent Examples of lynch from the Web
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On April 4, 1918, a crowd of drunken people lynched a German American named Robert Prager in Collinsville, Illinois.
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America was the place where nearly 4,000 of our fellow citizens were lynched, 540 alone in Louisiana; where the courts enshrined ‘
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America was the place where nearly 4,000 of our fellow citizens were lynched, 540 alone in Louisiana; where the courts enshrined 'separate but equal'; where Freedom riders coming to New Orleans were beaten to a bloody pulp.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lynch'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of lynch
lynch law
First Known Use: 1835
LYNCH Defined for English Language Learners
lynch
playDefinition of lynch for English Language Learners
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: to kill (someone) illegally as punishment for a crime
Law Dictionary
lynch
playLegal Definition of lynch
: to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal sanction
lyncher
nounLearn More about lynch
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See words that rhyme with lynch Spanish Central: Translation of lynch Nglish: Translation of lynch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lynch for Arabic speakers
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