roadkill

noun

road·​kill ˈrōd-ˌkil How to pronounce roadkill (audio)
1
: the remains of an animal that has been killed on a road by a motor vehicle
2
: one that falls victim to intense competition
political roadkill
road-killed adjective

Examples of roadkill in a Sentence

There is a lot of roadkill along the highway.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The girls can tell the seasons by the roadkill on Sunset. Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2025 Others are convinced that Valerie ate roadkill and other animals' feces and drank from dams to survive. Moná Thomas, People.com, 7 May 2025 And all the characterizations about the Lakers being a juggernaut and the Wolves being roadkill? Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 1 May 2025 McPhee has been writing for The New Yorker for nearly sixty years, on subjects as varied as oranges, basketball, plate tectonics, barges, roadkill, and, most recently, writing itself. Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for roadkill

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of roadkill was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Roadkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roadkill. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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