plural slayings
: the act of killing a person : killing, murder
—used chiefly in journalistic writing
a gangland slaying
Sunday's slayings bring to 14 the number of killings this year in what police call gang-related attacks.—
Peter Stein
Peter SteinHe is accused of ordering the 1989 slayings and robberies of three drug dealers …—Joseph P. Fried
Joseph P. FriedExamples of slaying in a Sentence
a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery
Recent Examples on the Web
Kirn Young Kim, then 16, wasn’t in the garage where his friends beat 17-year-old Stuart Tay to death at a Buena Park home, a brutal slaying that drew international attention.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
The woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of raping her two decades ago walked free from a North Carolina prison on Friday after serving time for the slaying of her boyfriend.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026
Grillmair’s death follows another slaying of a prominent scientist.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026
Police conclude their four-month investigation into von Wiese-Mack’s slaying.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaying
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Sean Emery, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
The woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of raping her two decades ago walked free from a North Carolina prison on Friday after serving time for the slaying of her boyfriend.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026
Grillmair’s death follows another slaying of a prominent scientist.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026
Police conclude their four-month investigation into von Wiese-Mack’s slaying.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Cite this Entry
“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaying. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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