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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Jaclyn Skuce, 43, of Madison, was convicted of capital murder after hiring a man to kill the child’s father in order to prevent him from gaining custody or further visitation, the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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No remains were uncovered, but a month later, both Flores men were arrested and charged in connection with Smart’s murder.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
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Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
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The San Diego County medical examiner’s office ruled his cause of death to be asphyxia and classified the manner as a homicide.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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The slaying brought back stark memories of the global outcry over the 2016 murder of Honduran environmentalist Berta Cáceres.—
Marlon González,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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On the day of Alejandro’s slaying, Ripley called 911, claiming that two Black men took the boy after running her off the road near a West Kendall Home Depot.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 May 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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In another foul play, the governor’s office swiftly, successfully moved to remove one of the judges, Lee Marsh, who had ruled against the 2022 gerrymander.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
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The Sierra Madre Police Department said Saturday that a man — at that point unidentified — died after having a medical emergency on the trail and that no foul play was suspected.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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