as in patricide
the crime of purposefully ending the life of your own brother or sister
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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
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Walt had long described himself as a benevolent father to his workers, and the strike seemed an act of personal betrayal and disloyalty verging on patricide.
Noun
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The Avici hell is the lowest and most terrible level of the eight hot hells of Buddhism, where those who’ve committed serious crimes (like parricide) must face constant suffering.
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This is what's known as a parricide, where somebody kills their parents.
Noun
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In the case of Tom Brandis, played by the singular Mark Ruffalo, a tragedy (matricide) has devastated his family unit.
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At the center of the installation is the myth of Orestes, which hinges on the justification of matricide.
Noun
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They were rewarded for their regicide when Thatcher’s successor, John Major, unexpectedly won the following election in 1992.
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Unlike the Conservative Party, however, Labour does not have a history of regicide; the party has never mounted an official challenge against a sitting prime minister.
Noun
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Prosecutors allege the pistol was used in a 2021 Chicago murder and later in the shooting of a rival gang member.
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Liar, marking a reunion between Seo Hyun-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok as a criminal profiler and a corporate attorney on opposing sides of a murder case tied to a powerful conglomerate, also continues through the month.
Noun
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Each year in the United States there are nearly 500 arrests for filicide – which is the legal term for when parents kill their children – according to an analysis of FBI data by Forensic Science International.
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That number doesn't include the many filicides that end with parents taking their own lives.
Noun
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Investigators said Edmond purchased the firearm in Georgia just 36 days before it was allegedly used in the homicide.
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Quigley has pleaded not guilty to motor vehicle homicide in the December 2023 Woburn crash that fatally injured 37‑year‑old Special Olympian Angelo Schettino, who died a month later.
Cite this Entry
“Fratricide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fratricide. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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