hara-kiri

variants also hari-kari
Definition of hara-kirinext

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
Noun
  • Burks personally prosecuted five capital murder death penalty cases during her time at the district attorney’s office.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The murder of two Israeli soldiers in the West Bank is the jumping-off point for a large-scale invasion of the Palestinian territory, a move that would further test the nation’s fraying relationship with the United States.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • During a retrial in 2019, one of the victims and a co-defendant testified that their previous testimony implicating Bennett was coerced by a then-homicide detective.
    — CBS Philadelphia, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Utah authorities have identified notorious serial killer Ted Bundy as the killer of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, closing a homicide investigation 52 years to the day after her body was discovered.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Cops are still working to establish a motive in Rodriguez’s slaying.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The teen accused of fatally stabbing a homeless Roseville woman faced a judge and the woman’s family Tuesday during his first court appearance in the slaying.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
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
Noun
  • No foul play is suspected, state police said, and her death is being investigated as accidental.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but foul play is not suspected, church officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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