slaying

noun

slay·​ing ˈslā-iŋ 

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

Synonyms of slaying

• murder
• homicide
• killing

Examples of slaying in a Sentence

a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery

Recent Examples on the Web

But Hohimer himself implicated another burglar, Frederick Malchow, in the slaying. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

An incident report on the killings obtained by the Observer states that two people were suspected to be responsible for the slayings that morning. — Maveah Griffith, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2026

Police have arrested two men in connection with a slaying in New Haven in 2024 where investigators believe a man was followed and gunned down on a dirt bike. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2026

Two men accused of drugging and killing an American Airlines flight attendant during a layover in Colombia have been arrested months after the slaying, authorities said, with the suspects allegedly tied to a gang known to prey on tourists. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slaying

• baying
• braying
• faying
• flaying
• fraying
• graying
• greying
• haying
• laying
• neighing
• paying
• playing