slaying

1 of 2

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

slaying

2 of 2

present participle of slay

Synonyms of slaying

Noun

• murder
• homicide
• killing

Examples of slaying in a Sentence

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Clancy, 36, faced three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the slayings of her children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan — who were discovered strangled at the family's home in January 2023. — Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Authorities did not have a motive at the time of the slaying. — Christina Hall, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2026

During trial in 1993, prosectors alleged that the brothers -- who went on a spending spree after the slayings -- killed their wealthy parents for financial gain. — Alex Stone, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Another man, Vincent Muscat, pleaded guilty in 2021 for his role in the slaying and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. — Kevin Schembri Orland, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slaying

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