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

Here’s what the report says about the wildlife at risk and where the roadkill hot spots are. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

How Californians can report roadkill UC Davis researchers encouraged residents to help identify dangerous road segments by reporting animals killed by vehicles. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2026

The source may be roadkill, a small animal hidden in the brush, or carrion some distance from your home. — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 9 Nov. 2026

Add Accenture to the list of companies falsely labeled roadkill in the AI era. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

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