roadkill

noun

road·​kill ˈrōd-ˌkil 

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

ˈrōd-ˌkild 

adjective

Examples of roadkill in a Sentence

There is a lot of roadkill along the highway.

Recent Examples on the Web

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

The Ravenswood Police Department in Jackson County was among the agencies involved in the pursuit, and department officials suspect the deer was roadkill the driver saw and decided to take. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025

Rescuers believe Valerie is likely subsisting on roadkill and dam water. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for roadkill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill