slaying

noun

slay·​ing ˈslā-iŋ How to pronounce slaying (audio)
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
He is accused of ordering the 1989 slayings and robberies of three drug dealers …Joseph P. Fried

Examples of slaying in a Sentence

a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery
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 slaying marks the first homicide this year in the 48th Precinct, which saw 11 killings in 2024, NYPD stats show. John Annese, New York Daily News, 2 Feb. 2025 Calling the slaying shocking, a Cook County judge on Saturday ordered Geiderwuin Bello Morales, 21, and Jefferson Ubilla-Delgado, 29, detained while awaiting trial. Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025 An American businessman, Thompson was the CEO of United Healthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, from April 2021 until his slaying. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025 The slayings of Caryn Eileen Campbell, ski instructor Julie Lyle Cunningham, Denise Lynn Oliverson and 12-year-old Lynette Dawn Culver followed. Jessica Sager, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for slaying 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slaying was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near slaying

Cite this Entry

“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaying. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.

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