1
as in headaches
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
weeding out that overgrown garden is going to be a killer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murderers
a person who kills another person
gunned down by hired killers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of killers
Translated, abundant capital is being directed toward the search for cures for the three biggest killers in the cancer realm.
—
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The rogues’ gallery of killers released by the Parole Board came with rap sheets often marked by blatant disregard for human life.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026
Ducks adjust without Poehling The loss of Poehling left the Ducks without their third-line center and one of their top penalty-killers — not to mention one of their top performers in these playoffs.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 13 May 2026
The series, which premieres next year, follows the tabloid talk show host leading the search for killers using DNA evidence.
—Peter White, Deadline, 11 May 2026
This week one of the hot topics in the cesspool of Reddit was mood killers when things are just starting to heat up.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Suspect Cole Tomas Allen was confined to a padded cell with constant lighting and repeatedly strip-searched; the judge noted the jail houses convicted killers without such restrictions.
—Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026
The Wild’s penalty-killers pounced, starting a rush the other way that ended with Marcus Foligno beating Scott Wedgewood for a 5-4 Wild lead — Minnesota’s third straight goal and its third of the period.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Serial killers, a favorite of the genre, are exceptionally rare.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 4 May 2026
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The rogues’ gallery of killers released by the Parole Board came with rap sheets often marked by blatant disregard for human life.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026
Ducks adjust without Poehling The loss of Poehling left the Ducks without their third-line center and one of their top penalty-killers — not to mention one of their top performers in these playoffs.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 13 May 2026
The series, which premieres next year, follows the tabloid talk show host leading the search for killers using DNA evidence.
—Peter White, Deadline, 11 May 2026
This week one of the hot topics in the cesspool of Reddit was mood killers when things are just starting to heat up.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Suspect Cole Tomas Allen was confined to a padded cell with constant lighting and repeatedly strip-searched; the judge noted the jail houses convicted killers without such restrictions.
—Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026
The Wild’s penalty-killers pounced, starting a rush the other way that ended with Marcus Foligno beating Scott Wedgewood for a 5-4 Wild lead — Minnesota’s third straight goal and its third of the period.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Serial killers, a favorite of the genre, are exceptionally rare.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killers
Noun
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Hantavirus, a rare disease typically caused by exposure to infected rodents’ urine or feces, can cause headaches, fever, gastrointestinal issues and respiratory problems.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
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Patient groups are jockeying for exemptions from Medicaid work requirements, but the unusually fast implementation timeline for states is causing headaches.—
John Wilkerson,
STAT,
12 May 2026
Noun
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In subsequent years — even up until 120 years later in 2008 — there were murderers that mirrored the Ripper’s crimes.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
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Who'd want a country to be taken over by these killers and these murderers?—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
Noun
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One candidate ran as a fervent booster, arguing that Atlantic Yards would bring jobs and housing to the area.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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These titles often glorify overwork and set unrealistic expectations from day one, contributing to the kind of stress that causes people to resign and look for low-stress jobs in the first place.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The film follows a unit of young assassins who belong to the titular organization, trained in a tropical rainforest by a figure known only as Master.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 May 2026
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Riquelme Vega, a Chilean Dutch cocaine importer also in the Super Cartel, wanted to murder a rival in Dubai by sending a team of Colombian assassins to the Emirates, Kinahan voiced his disapproval.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Killers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killers. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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