as in massacre
the killing of a large number of people
all civilized nations should protest this senseless slaughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to massacre
to kill on a large scale
modern poultry farms slaughter a vast number of chickens every day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slaughter
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
For example, a meatpacker forced to pay higher prices for slaughter-ready cattle may see its profit margins squeezed.
—
Bruce Blythe,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
17 June 2026
The Athletic Uk Staff,
New York Times,
18 June 2026
Disease had significantly weakened Tenochtitlán’s ability to withstand Cortés’s siege, and the Europeans eventually wore the Aztec warriors down and broke through the city’s defenses, slaughtering the Aztecs and destroying the city.
—
Jordana Rosenfeld,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaughter
Noun
The primary area of contention between Ukraine and Poland is the Volhynian Genocide of 1943-1945, when, independent of the Nazis, the UPA carried out the mass slaughter of Poles in what is now western Ukraine.
—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
For example, a meatpacker forced to pay higher prices for slaughter-ready cattle may see its profit margins squeezed.
—
Bruce Blythe,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
17 June 2026
Verb
The man who’d been slaughtered in the headlines for weeks let the ball bounce, flicked it over the head of Scotland centre-back Colin Hendry with his left foot and volleyed it in with his right to score one of England’s most memorable ever goals.
—
The Athletic Uk Staff,
New York Times,
18 June 2026
Disease had significantly weakened Tenochtitlán’s ability to withstand Cortés’s siege, and the Europeans eventually wore the Aztec warriors down and broke through the city’s defenses, slaughtering the Aztecs and destroying the city.
—
Jordana Rosenfeld,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaughter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaughter
Noun
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Athalia’s family returned home a few days after the massacre.
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The issue has been particularly salient for low-income families living near fields of coca, the shrub used to make cocaine, as human rights organizations documented more than 50 massacres in Colombia just this year.
Verb
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The couple is accused of conspiring to murder Agarwal in an attempt to continue their romance.
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Nothing about intent—intent pertains to murder in its several degrees.
Cite this Entry
“Slaughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaughter. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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