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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The Vice Lords is a gang whose members have been involved in murder, drug trafficking and other violent crime, according to the US Justice Department.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
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Rates in murder and non-negligent manslaughter saw the biggest drop among the four categories, and is the lowest rate in nine years.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Yogurt Shop Murders is a new HBO documentary about the unsolved 1991 homicide of four teenage girls in Austin.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Cincinnati's homicide and shooting incident rates are currently higher than those of New York City and Chicago.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Adams, 39, initially was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the Dec. 6, 2021, slaying of Jose Stanton, a 28-year-old security guard at the Days Inn hotel at North Sixth and West Vine streets.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Gargiulo was extradited to Illinois in September 2024, to stand trial on charges of murder in the Glenview teen’s slaying.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But on Wednesday, a grand jury indicted her on the charge of assisting self-murder/manslaughter, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.—
Frank Fernandez,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2023
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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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Ge’s death was determined to be a suicide after investigators turned up a handwritten note but found no evidence of foul play, ABC News reported, citing Pennsylvania State Police.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
7 Aug. 2025
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No further search efforts are planned for Fish Lake, and the circumstances of White's death remain officially undetermined with no evidence of foul play.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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