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
Murders hit historical highs in San Diego in the 1990s, and Bland’s 1994 slaying was one of 113 homicides that year.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Heuermann, 62, who is charged with killing seven women, has maintained his innocence since his arrest in Midtown Manhattan on July 13, 2023, for the slayings of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Dominguez, acquitted of first-degree murder at his first trial, faces charges of second-degree murder in the slayings at his May retrial.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Later Tuesday night, two other men were fatally wounded near 79th Street in the same neighborhood but police did not indicate the slayings were connected.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
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Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Heuermann, 62, who is charged with killing seven women, has maintained his innocence since his arrest in Midtown Manhattan on July 13, 2023, for the slayings of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Dominguez, acquitted of first-degree murder at his first trial, faces charges of second-degree murder in the slayings at his May retrial.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Later Tuesday night, two other men were fatally wounded near 79th Street in the same neighborhood but police did not indicate the slayings were connected.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 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 30 Mar. 2026.
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