dispatch

Definition of dispatchnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word dispatch distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of dispatch are assassinate, execute, kill, murder, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When might assassinate be a better fit than dispatch?

While the synonyms assassinate and dispatch are close in meaning, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When could execute be used to replace dispatch?

The synonyms execute and dispatch are sometimes interchangeable, but execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Where would kill be a reasonable alternative to dispatch?

In some situations, the words kill and dispatch are roughly equivalent. 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 it sensible to use murder instead of dispatch?

The words murder and dispatch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When is slay a more appropriate choice than dispatch?

The meanings of slay and dispatch largely overlap; however, 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 dispatch Reina said the bomb squad was dispatched to the home and the fireworks were being removed by truck. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026 On Tuesday night, Sinner dispatched the French wild card Clément Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 27 May 2026 According to the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office, Candanoza requested a cover unit, and shortly after units were dispatched, dispatch received 9-1-1 calls that an officer had been shot. Briauna Brown, CBS News, 27 May 2026 Firefighters were dispatched to the area of East Cesar Chavez and North Eastern avenues, according to a Los Angeles County Fire Department public information officer, who said crude oil was visible in the intersection. City News Service, Daily News, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dispatch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispatch
Verb
  • Washington — The House approved an effort on Thursday to send fresh assistance to Ukraine after a few Republican members joined with Democrats to force a vote on the issue.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 June 2026
  • If Scott had thrown a scoreless inning and sent the game into the 10th, Roberts planned to have Ohtani pinch hit for Miguel Rojas, the third batter due up.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Verb
  • In recent months security forces have killed a string of top Maoists and the rank-and-file are laying down their weapons.
    Dhruv Tikekar, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
  • At the same time that the GKN situation was unraveling, the rupture of a chemical tank containing a different chemical mixture killed 11 people at a paper mill in Washington state.
    Jason Henry, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • In 1979, Pamela’s father, Lord Louis Mountbatten, was assassinated by the IRA when a bomb exploded aboard his fishing boat.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 5 June 2026
  • In the 1970s, Eugene Hart was convicted of threatening the president after his brother reported Hart’s plan to assassinate President Richard Nixon.
    Wayne Unger, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • The food, beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and agribusiness lobbies do not need to defeat MAHA in public debate.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
  • But environmentalists and other stakeholders said giving too many concessions to fossil fuel interests would defeat the program’s purpose, which is to drive down emissions along a pathway consistent with what scientists say could preserve a recognizable climate.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • In July 1936, anarchists set fire to the church’s crypt and broke into the architect’s workshop before destroying many of his plans and plaster models.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
  • The Russian president, who has never acknowledged that Ukraine is a legitimate country, or that Zelensky is its legitimate president, could continue to bomb Ukrainian cities, hoping to destroy the electrical grid and make the country unlivable.
    Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Verb
  • John Bennett was put to death after being convicted of raping and attempting to murder an 11-year-old girl.
    Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2026
  • On the limited series, based on Araminta Hall’s 2020 novel of the same name, Washington plays Eleanor, a successful CEO whose life is upended when one of her best friends is murdered.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • If Las Vegas is a place of reinvention, then Paul has mastered the art.
    Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
  • Kimi Antonelli mastered one of Formula 1's most intense challenges to take pole position for Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix and bolster his credentials as the title favorite on Saturday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • When Kostyuk hired Zaniewska, her main experience coaching on the WTA Tour was with Alizé Cornet, the French player with a penchant for slaying top-10 stars at Grand Slams.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 June 2026
  • Lastly, players will have a new Elder Dragon to slay.
    Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dispatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispatch. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

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