euthanize

verb

variants also euthanatize
Definition of euthanizenext
as in to assassinate

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 euthanize As a pet owner, making the call to euthanize a pet can be one of the most painful parts of the process, so having that limit in place takes the guesswork out of it. — Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 28 May 2026 There are whale experts who can euthanize a humpback whale, for example, by inserting a needle the size of a human arm into its heart. — Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026 When the town select board made the decision to euthanize, Millis Animal Control Officer Erin Mallette told them her recommendation was for a statute of six corrective measures such as a muzzle and restraints. — Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 1 May 2026 Conservation teams then move in to remove and euthanize the python. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for euthanize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for euthanize
  1. assassinate
  2. execute
  3. terminate
  4. slaughter
  5. put down
Verb
  • Attorneys at a key hearing for the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk sparred over whether a police interview should be made public, with Kirk’s family attorney saying that sealing it will only sow distrust in the justice system.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • The 23-year-old man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University will be in court this week for the most substantial hearing so far in his murder case.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
Definition of assassinate
Verb
  • The community services district worked with Environmental Science Associates to execute the requirement, including consulting with Native American tribal partners.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
  • In a July 9 Facebook post, the Nebraska Humane Society said its personnel executed a search warrant at a West Omaha residence following an anonymous tip about animals’ well-being.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of execute
Verb
  • Tolliver was terminated after the 2023 incident and can never work for the school district again, according to a Miami Herald report.
    — Austin Horn July 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • The county months later terminated Leopold for cause after an unrelated workplace discrimination and harassment complaint, saying the decision was not related to the fatal crash.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of terminate
Verb
  • First, the animals whose skins would become parchment—typically sheep or calves—had to be slaughtered; a complete bible required the skins of around five hundred sheep.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • After Hamas slaughtered over 1,200 people on 10/7, including more than 40 Americans, the IDF is reactivating 45 military bases spread out between Israel and Jordan.
    — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of slaughter
Verb
  • Monaco was the first place Djokovic put down roots outside of Serbia.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 July 2026
  • Customers for Peak who have put down a deposit include independent power providers Jupiter Power, Energy Vault and RWE Americas, who are connecting utilities, and increasingly data centers, with batteries.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of put down

Browse Nearby Words

euthanasias
euthanize
euthanized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Euthanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/euthanize. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All