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.
Now, more than a year after the man’s death, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a woman in connection to his slaying. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025 The slaying of the serpent was a mythological superspreader, mutating and proliferating across the Indo-European world and beyond. Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 The execution-style slaying was caught on camera, with prosecutors alleging Mangione targeted Thompson due to financial and corporate disputes. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025 In December 2022, Kohberger was charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary for the slayings of Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin. Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaying. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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