hara-kiri

noun

variants also hari-kari
Definition of hara-kirinext
as in suicide

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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 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
  1. murder
  2. homicide
  3. slaying
  4. self-murder
  5. foul play
Noun
  • Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a Collin County jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is once again seeking to overturn his state murder conviction in the 2020 killing of George Floyd, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
    — Riley Moser, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of murder
Noun
  • The annual homicide rate roughly doubled between 2015 and 2020, surging past 100 lives lost.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The man in the barrel was found to have been shot and was declared a homicide victim.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of homicide
Noun
  • The explosion targeting Ranucci occurred on the eighth anniversary of the car bomb slaying of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who wrote extensively about suspected corruption in political and business circles.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Members of Garvin’s family visited the scene of his slaying hours after he was shot.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of slaying
Noun
  • She is charged with first-degree murder and assisting self-murder, which in Florida is treated like a manslaughter offense.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • 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.
    — Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026
Definition of self-murder
Noun
  • No foul play is suspected at this time, and the ACSO is investigating the incident.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Matheny's cause of death is being investigated, but authorities do not believe that foul play was involved.
    — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of foul play

Browse Nearby Words

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hara-kiri
hara-kiris
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Cite this Entry

“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hara-kiri

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hara-kiri

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