Synonym Chooser

How is the word assassinate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of assassinate are dispatch, execute, kill, murder, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When might dispatch be a better fit than assassinate?

The words dispatch and assassinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When can execute be used instead of assassinate?

Although the words execute and assassinate have much in common, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

When would kill be a good substitute for assassinate?

The meanings of kill and assassinate largely overlap; however, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

When is murder a more appropriate choice than assassinate?

The synonyms murder and assassinate are sometimes interchangeable, but murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When could slay be used to replace assassinate?

The words slay and assassinate can be used in similar contexts, but slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of assassinate The 31-year-old conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder was assassinated last month while speaking at an event in Utah. Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 9 Oct. 2025 On Friday, a person who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his home was sentenced to eight years in prison. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 In September 1974, General Prats was assassinated in Buenos Aires. Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025 The president has secured buy-in from key Arab and Muslim states, his efforts energized by his criticism of Israel’s audacious and unsuccessful effort to assassinate top Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya in an airstrike in the Qatari capital of Doha. Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assassinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assassinate
Verb
  • When a young woman is brutally murdered in a remote town, a determined female detective is thrust into the case.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
  • That included a pair of hunters named Victor Travis and Raymond Burgess; on the show, Gein hunts them down and murders them with a chainsaw.
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Turns out it’s filled with demons to slay, and the goal is to find a key to unlock an exit in the backyard.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Murray, 72, was found slain and bound with duct tape and zip ties in the basement of his home in the 3700 block of Newcastle after his wife called 911 to report a robbery.
    Christina Hall, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Startups are advertising ‘AI employees’ and the likes of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz are talking of AI ‘productizing and unbundling’ the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector that executes the core functions of corporations around the globe.
    Adam Gale, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Craftsmanship, attention to detail, and commercial appeal were executed to perfection in what promises to be a must-have collection for our clients.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces have captured 25 Pakistani army posts, 58 soldiers have been killed, and 30 others wounded.
    NPR, NPR, 12 Oct. 2025
  • In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assassinate. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

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