variants
also hari-kari
as in suicide
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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
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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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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.
Noun
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Polish prosecutors have not attributed the slaying to Moscow and Poland's Internal Security Agency did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
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An attorney for Espinal declined to comment on his arrest in Jeremy’s slaying.
Noun
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She has been charged with first-degree murder and assisting self-murder, a second-degree felony in Florida punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Noun
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Authorities have not said whether foul play is suspected, and no manner of death has been determined.
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Police do not suspect foul play.
Cite this Entry
“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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