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
The plan to kill Commanders and save the girls, however, was aborted when June and Moira’s undercover mission for the Mayday resistance group led to them killing a Guardian (a Gilead soldier). Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025 Navigating Pricing Complexity Pricing complexity can kill B2B growth. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
Noun
Junior outside hitter Ben Brown led Corona del Mar with 18 kills Tuesday. Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 7 May 2025 And Rihanna then brought out the infamous kill shot. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for kill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kill
Verb
  • At least 144 structures were destroyed and parts of Highway 44 were shut down, said St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • In order to retrieve the original source code of the Entity and destroy it, Hunt has to risk life and limb and dive into icy arctic waters to a sunken Soviet submarine teetering 500 feet underwater.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • The announcement comes after a jury candidate was dismissed on the first day of Combs' trial due to her connection to the publishing company.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • When Trump left the presidency in 2021, the court dismissed the case as moot, leaving the constitutional provision largely untested and unresolved.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • In December 2020 — shortly before Hilaria's heritage controversy emerged — Schumer posted some of Hilaria's family photos on her own Instagram page, later deleting them and apologizing to Hilaria, who spoke out about receiving negative comments.
    Benjamin VanHoose, People.com, 16 May 2025
  • You have been warned Meta AI can’t be stopped, deleted or removed.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Some, including Yamal, covered themselves with their hoodies and strategically wore headphones over their ears.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 11 May 2025
  • Going from wearing costumes to wearing a badge is not your typical path.
    Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • The concept fascinated me—creating designs and selling custom products without needing to manage inventory.
    Sarim Nadeem, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
  • Hobbyist diver Dom Robinson has spent the past three decades exploring shipwrecks, which have fascinated him since childhood.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Last year, the singer deactivated his X account after making a comment about Taylor Swift.
    Emily Trainham, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2025
  • But last summer, LNG carriers traveling to Arctic LNG 2, which is run by Russia's energy giant Novatek, deactivated or spoofed their locations to allow shipments, according to maritime outlet Gcaptain.com.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • Here's what to know about Rogers' execution, including who his victims were.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • The thief — dressed in a black hoodie and black pants — held a gun to the victim’s face before stealing $100,000 from the victim’s bedroom and then fled on foot, heading south on Seventh Ave., cops said.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Today, there are plenty of resources for parents who adopt children of a different race, a process known as transracial adoption.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • The ballooning cost of eggs was an ongoing political flashpoint during the 2024 presidential race.
    Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 9 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kill. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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