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
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) will not be part of the probe into an ICE agent's slaying of a female motorist, officials said today.
—Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
For what’s been characterized as an open-and-shut case, there are still a lot of questions about the slayings of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
In April 2021, Cottingham admitted to committing the slayings of 17-year-old Mary Ann Pryor and 16-year-old Lorraine Marie Kelly in 1974, the AP reported.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The trial to determine Vaughn’s guilt or innocence in the slaying began Tuesday, but was short-lived because, on that same day, Vaughn, now 17, and his legal team accepted a plea deal from the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, Natalie Lopez, his attorney, told the Miami Herald.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaying
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Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
For what’s been characterized as an open-and-shut case, there are still a lot of questions about the slayings of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
In April 2021, Cottingham admitted to committing the slayings of 17-year-old Mary Ann Pryor and 16-year-old Lorraine Marie Kelly in 1974, the AP reported.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The trial to determine Vaughn’s guilt or innocence in the slaying began Tuesday, but was short-lived because, on that same day, Vaughn, now 17, and his legal team accepted a plea deal from the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, Natalie Lopez, his attorney, told the Miami Herald.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 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 16 Jan. 2026.
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