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
Andrew Batayola and Riley Overman combined for a fourth-down sack of the Oilers at the Trabuco 34-yard line, and a 46-yard pass to Micah Bowen moved the Mustangs in for the kill. Zach Cavanagh, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025 Hayes and Acciari can help on special teams — Hayes on the power play and Acciari on the penalty kill — but both have seen better days. Josh Yohe, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
Patterson was found guilty in July of killing her mother-in-law, Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, in a case that has been globally followed and dubbed the Leongatha mushroom murders. Alasdair Pal, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025 Schools, churches, small shops that survived the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed over 300,000 are now a pile of rubble, part of the apocalyptic landscape left behind by the retreating forces that control almost all of Haiti’s capital. Johnny Fils-Aimé, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kill
Verb
  • Acosta allowed it, and IMG destroyed them.
    Alec Lewis, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Later, Howard calls Matt and agrees to cut the sequence but also threatens to destroy him.
    Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Despite lacking any legal education or experience, Routh dismissed his lawyers earlier this year and intends to defend himself at trial.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • When retail loses money, it’s often dismissed as inexperience.
    Anmol Verma, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The department deleted the post, and Mayor Bill Bazzi said the idea for a badge shouldn't have been presented as an official protype.
    Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Protecting your privacy goes beyond deleting profiles.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The photo released shows what appears to be a man wearing a largely black outfit with an American flag on his shirt, a black cap, and black sunglasses.
    Connor Greene, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Posing next to Colman Domingo and Salma Hayek Pinault (who wore an elegant black Balenciaga suit dress), Moore’s glitzy look shone.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
  • That kind of content always fascinated me, both sides of it, actually, the victimology and the perpetrator’s perspective.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With his jaw clenched and sights set on being the next James Bond, Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Major Will Tranter, a bomb disposal pro who’s both an ace sniper and a bit of a loose cannon, breaking protocol in his obsessive attempt to deactivate the vintage ordnance with minimal casualties.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
  • His personal page has been deactivated before as well.
    John Tufts, IndyStar, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The victims said the thief stole close to $60,000 in cash and dozens of checks that were inside the box.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victim as Daniella Weisman from Glencoe, a spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE.
    Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Senate election will mark Jenkins’ first statewide race at a time when Florida Democrats have struggled to show a pulse, and after the last Democratic Senate candidate, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, lost by almost 13 points.
    Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Kraft has received a few notable endorsements, most recently former city councilor Annissa Essaibi George, who was the runner-up to Wu in the 2021 race.
    Jared Gans, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Kill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kill. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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