kill 1 of 2

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as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote the Senate killed the bill by a single vote

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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kill

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word kill distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of kill are assassinate, dispatch, execute, murder, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

In what contexts can assassinate take the place of kill?

While in some cases nearly identical to kill, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When would dispatch be a good substitute for kill?

While the synonyms dispatch and kill are close in meaning, dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When is it sensible to use execute instead of kill?

The meanings of execute and kill largely overlap; however, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Where would murder be a reasonable alternative to kill?

The synonyms murder and kill are sometimes interchangeable, but murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When might slay be a better fit than kill?

In some situations, the words slay and kill are roughly equivalent. However, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

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 kill
Verb
Some residents cited New Orleans’ resilience during tough times – think Hurricane Katrina or after 14 were killed this year after a man drove a speeding truck into New Year’s Day revelers on Bourbon Street – and took it in stride. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 17 June 2025 The California Department of Justice will investigate a fatal shooting by Los Angeles Police Department officers under a law that empowers the state attorney general to probe police shootings of unarmed people — despite the LAPD saying the man killed Tuesday was holding a gun. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
Noun
Budinger had eight kills and hit .538 with three digs, a block and an ace in the win Friday night. Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025 The tournament needed a late finish after Sinner blasted Andrey Rublev off court and Alcaraz’s quick kill of Paul. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for kill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kill
Verb
  • But the conflict has only escalated, with Russia’s launching some of its most extensive strikes in a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of casualties, and Ukraine’s carrying out the audacious Operation Spiderweb drone attack, which damaged or destroyed strategic aircraft inside Russia.
    Adam Rasmi, Time, 20 June 2025
  • To destroy the site, an attack would have to come in waves, with bombers releasing one after another down the same hole.
    Samuel Granados, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Last month, Fernando Casas-Gamboa’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the indictment, alleging that ICE is wrongly detaining his client on immigration grounds despite Major ordering his pre-trial release in the criminal case.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
  • Operation Ajax, a joint CIA-British operation, convinced the Shah of Iran, the country’s monarch, to dismiss Mossadegh and drive him from office by force.
    Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • La Liga had to delete the registration of new FC Barcelona star Joan Garcia after mistakenly including him in the Catalans' first team squad on Friday afternoon, a few hours after the goalkeeper signed his contract at the Joan Gamper CT.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • Perhaps for the same reason Trump’s secretary of defense ordered Arlington National Cemetery to delete webpage memorials of Black and Latino people and women who defended our country.
    Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Anyone who doesn’t wear a uniform speaks in a whisper.
    Rav Grewal-Kök June 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
  • Eventually, Kartel arrives wearing a suit with his locs braided back.
    Natalie Meade, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The writer was fascinated with sharks after spotting them during childhood fishing trips with his father on Nantucket.
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 20 June 2025
  • That stuff about the Gunn Mummy fascinates me though.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2025
  • Verve’s innovative gene-editing technology, which permanently deactivates the PCSK9 gene to address high cholesterol, represents a breakthrough approach to cardiovascular disease treatment.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • The victim has suffered trauma to the head from a blunt object, but did not appear to be shot, police said.
    Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
  • He was arrested in January 2024 after one of his victims came forward to police.
    Olivia Kemp, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Last year, his season featured 24 races across six months.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • The landmark Regents of the University of California v. Bakke decision in 1978 banned racial quotas in college admissions but allowed race to be a factor in meeting diversity goals, a ruling that also informed case law on hiring.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Kill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kill. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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