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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As teens, both were prosecuted in adult court for murder.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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William Brock, 83, was sentenced this week to 21 years to life for murder, felonious assault and kidnapping in Toland-Hall’s killing.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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This is the second mass homicide in British Columbia in less than a year.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What led to Cruz’s slaying years later is not immediately clear.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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The slaying dramatized the perils faced by journalists in Mexico, where scores have been slain in recent years.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The initial charge of first-degree murder has been reduced to assisting self-murder/manslaughter.—
Frank Fernandez,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2023
Noun
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He is believed to have been alone at the time of the incident, and no foul play is suspected based on preliminary findings, according to the release.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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He was discovered dead in the residence, but no foul play was suspected.—
Jami Ganz,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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