as in patricide
the crime of purposefully ending the life of your own brother or sister
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Recent Examples of fratricide
The problem with the plan was fratricide, among other wanton cellular murders.
—
Jason Mast, STAT, 31 Aug. 2023
The Type-1a supernovae don’t come from solitary stars sitting around waiting to die, but from a case of pure stellar fratricide.
—Popular Mechanics, 18 Apr. 2023
Rumors of Njinga committing fratricide or engaging in cannibalism are treated with similar caution.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2023
Each episode of Peacock’s mystery series depicts such horrors as fratricide and fraud in classic American locales: a Nevada casino, a Texas smokehouse, a Colorado ski lodge.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fratricide
Jason Mast, STAT, 31 Aug. 2023
The Type-1a supernovae don’t come from solitary stars sitting around waiting to die, but from a case of pure stellar fratricide.
—Popular Mechanics, 18 Apr. 2023
Rumors of Njinga committing fratricide or engaging in cannibalism are treated with similar caution.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2023
Each episode of Peacock’s mystery series depicts such horrors as fratricide and fraud in classic American locales: a Nevada casino, a Texas smokehouse, a Colorado ski lodge.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fratricide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fratricide
Noun
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The second season’s focus on the Menendez brothers’ patricide is loud, confrontational, and approaches the case from multiple perspectives at once, which can either come across as daring or incoherent.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
24 May 2025
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When Joe is implicated in financial misdeeds connected to land deals conducted on the tribe’s behalf, Mack seizes upon the news to banish Joe from the reservation, a symbolic patricide also intended to damage Gloria’s campaign.—
Christopher Sorrentino,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Macron’s ascent to the presidency began, like a certain Greek tragedy, with parricide.—
Arthur Goldhammer,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2018
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Pancakes and parricide, anyone?—
Joanna O'Leary,
Chron,
24 Jan. 2021
Noun
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In the illuminated texts of the medieval and early Renaissance periods, artists decided to rachet up the horrors of Agrippina’s matricide.—
Diana Arterian
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
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Several generate physical action that, besides wickedness, is driven by rage — fights, accidents, assaults, pederasty, filicide, matricide.—
Stuart Dybek,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The raw power grab that excites Lady Macbeth and incites her husband to regicide feels especially pertinent now, when the dangers of autocracy loom over political discussions.—
Peter Marks,
Washington Post,
28 Mar. 2024
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Those Tories by the way have a particular penchant for political regicide before voters get the chance.—
Stephen Collinson,
CNN,
19 Jan. 2023
Noun
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He was sentenced to death in Idaho in 2024 after being convicted of murder in the deaths of Tylee, JJ and his ex-wife, Tammy Daybell.—
Jenna Sundel
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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Smith was convicted of one count each of second-degree murder, a grossly negligent act causing miscarriage/stillbirth, and fleeing police, causing serious bodily injury, as well as two counts of reckless driving, according to online court records.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Several generate physical action that, besides wickedness, is driven by rage — fights, accidents, assaults, pederasty, filicide, matricide.—
Stuart Dybek,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2025
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One study of maternal filicide observed that, whereas psychotic mothers often acted suddenly, depressed mothers tended to contemplate killing their children for days or weeks before acting.—
Eren Orbey,
The New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The victim, 66-year-old Eugene Allen, was discovered by residents around 4:30 p.m. During the investigation, homicide squad detectives identified Nieves Reyes as a suspect in the man’s death.—
Theodore Parisienne,
New York Daily News,
24 July 2025
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If anyone has information about Damian Ward’s death, the Prince George’s County Police Department said a homicide detective can be reached by calling at 301-516-2512.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fratricide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fratricide. Accessed 28 Jul. 2025.
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