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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Brianna and Kierianna Long now face several charges in connection with the May 30 incident, including assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to local reports.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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Nearly every murder is solved by the end of the episode, but despite the unusual twist of having the village vicar team up with the police, the real action comes from the relationships among the characters.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Six homicide convictions There have been six homicide convictions in the seven fentanyl murder cases Gire’s prosecutors have filed since February 2022.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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Recent data show a 60% reduction in homicides between 2022 and 2025, with non-fatal shootings down by 50%, reflecting the impact of coordinated efforts among community groups, public agencies and healthcare partners.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Evers' death, the first slaying of a national leader in the movement, helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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The slaying has people in the retirement community on edge.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
10 June 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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The school official added that the University of Kentucky Police Department was working with the Lexington-Fayette County Coroner, and an initial investigation did not indicate that foul play was involved.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
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Although her cause of death has yet to be determined, authorities say there were no signs of foul play.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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