variants
also hari-kari
as in suicide
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 hara-kiri
He was struck by the show’s exploration of hara-kiri, the Japanese ritual suicide.
—
Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 18 May 2025
When the soldiers, instead of rising up, jeered at him, Mishima killed himself in the classic samurai fashion: performing hara-kiri, or seppuku (as the Japanese more commonly call it), by plunging a sword into his abdomen before a uniformed disciple sliced his head off.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
The film depicts the historical ‘Honno-ji Incident’ from 1582, when a key vassal of Oda Nobunaga rose in revolt and caused his master to commit hara-kiri in Kyoto.
—Mark Schilling, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 18 May 2025
When the soldiers, instead of rising up, jeered at him, Mishima killed himself in the classic samurai fashion: performing hara-kiri, or seppuku (as the Japanese more commonly call it), by plunging a sword into his abdomen before a uniformed disciple sliced his head off.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
The film depicts the historical ‘Honno-ji Incident’ from 1582, when a key vassal of Oda Nobunaga rose in revolt and caused his master to commit hara-kiri in Kyoto.
—Mark Schilling, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hara-kiri
Noun
-
Matos is charged with murder, carjacking, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
Directed by Hong Kong’s Frankie Tam, the film draws on Hong Kong’s first murder case solved entirely through forensic evidence and without eyewitness testimony.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play and homicide detectives are investigating.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
-
Pino faced charges of manslaughter and vessel homicide in connection with the crash, which killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Noun
-
Polish prosecutors have not attributed the slaying to Moscow and Poland's Internal Security Agency did not immediately reply to a request for comment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
-
An attorney for Espinal declined to comment on his arrest in Jeremy’s slaying.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The initial charge of first-degree murder has been reduced to assisting self-murder/manslaughter.—
Frank Fernandez,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2023
Noun
-
Authorities have not said whether foul play is suspected, and no manner of death has been determined.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
-
Police do not suspect foul play.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
