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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With examples drawn from Scripture and across the length of history, Paine commits rhetorical regicide.—
Matthew Redmond
August 13,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
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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
Noun
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More than a month after the parents’ deaths, deputies issued a warrant for Leman’s arrest on murder charges.—
Mike Stunson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Aug. 2025
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Jamison Fisher, 50, has been indicted on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death in the murder of Trudy Appleby, authorities in Moline, Illinois, said during a news conference on Thursday, Aug. 14.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 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 double homicide marks the 13th and 14th killings of the year in Kansas City, Kansas, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Aug. 2025
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Chicago’s homicide victims in 2025 are often young, Black and male.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fratricide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fratricide. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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