as in patricide
the crime of purposefully ending the life of your own brother or sister
Related Words
Relevance
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 fratricide
Here, Hamlet is a melancholy suburban prince named Juicy, in a Black family rocked by betrayal and fratricide and ghosts who pop out of backyard grills.
—
Chris Richards, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for fratricide
Chris Richards, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for fratricide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fratricide
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
This is what's known as a parricide, where somebody kills their parents.—
Lori A Bashian , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The double killing of one's parents, known as parricide, is a rare event, according to Dr. Kathleen Heide, Ph.D., professor of criminology at the University of South Florida and author of Why Kids Kill Parents: Child Abuse and Adolescent Homicide.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
With examples drawn from Scripture and across the length of history, Paine commits rhetorical regicide.—
Matthew Redmond
August 13,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
-
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
-
The number of killings investigated last year fell to 67, with 57 of those categorized as murders — excluding cases such as justifiable homicides — a total not seen since 1967, according to data compiled by this news organization.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Jackson, who famously won an acquittal in the murder trial of Karen Read and represented disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, did not explain his decision to withdraw from the case.—
Matt Gutman,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Police confirmed a homicide investigation is underway.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fratricide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fratricide. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
