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
Chaining together standard and heavy blows with acrobatic spins, slips, and dives is fluid and intuitive — leaving combat feeling like an ever-climaxing dance of death that often ends with insta-kill execution moves. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025 Rather than using projectiles for a kinetic kill, these weapons rely on electromagnetic energy to disable a target through heat, disruption of internal electrical systems, or blinding of sensors such as optics and radar. Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
The conservative activist and leader of Turning Point USA was shot and killed while speaking during an event at Utah Valley University hosted by his nonprofit political organization. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2025 People in neighborhood are afraid, candidates say The Republican candidate seeking Hortman’s seat, real estate agent Ruth Bittner, noticed early in her campaign that people in the neighborhood where Hortman was killed seemed afraid to open their doors. Mark Vancleave, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kill
Verb
  • Some are value-destroying black holes; others are relentless value creators.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last week, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 14 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
  • This is particularly relevant in the case of ChatGPT, as OpenAI is, as of writing, obliged by a US federal court order to store all conversations, even those deleted by users or conducted in its Temporary Chat mode.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Somehow, the queen can delete her own nuclear DNA and produce offspring that rely almost entirely on the sperm’s DNA.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 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
  • By late Friday morning, his Facebook account appeared to be deactivated.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • In that configuration, throttle response increases, steering assist decreases (steering feel gets heavier), the idle stop system is deactivated, and the instrument accent lighting changes from white to red—the Si transforms, within seconds, into a sport sedan.
    Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The most successful so far comes from Tampa, where a circuit court judge in August reaffirmed a statewide injunction pausing DOAH hearings after a Hurricane Milton victim argued the company was violating his rights.
    Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The motion is still pending, and families of the crash victims urged the court to reject it.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Arizona Diamondbacks have clawed their way into the heat of a playoff race as the New York Mets continue to collapse down the stretch.
    Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • He was known for his controversial political and social takes related to race, gun violence and immigration, and had an audience of millions of viewers and listeners across various platforms.
    Connor Greene, Time, 17 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Kill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kill. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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