killing off

present participle of kill off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for killing off
Verb
  • Unfortunately, the 2025 Perseids happened to coincide with the appearance of a waxing gibbous moon, which bleached the sky with moonlight, blotting out all but the brightest members of the ancient meteor shower.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The number of homebuyers taking out VA loans also increased in August, rising 3 percent year-over-year nationwide—bucking the trend observed for conventional loans, which declined 9 percent year-over-year in the same month.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Literally sitting on the ground, probably kneeling and just watching the television, taking out the tape, rewinding it, putting it back in and watching it over and over again.
    Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Many new hires go with the default savings rate, which can result in putting away less.
    Fiona Greig, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Declutter by putting away items that collect there throughout the week, like mail, packages of food, keys, or extra dishes.
    Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There were several games to keep an eye on — most notably the Arizona Wildcats knocking off the defending NCAA champion Florida Gators.
    Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • But the Panthers probably weren’t knocking off the Bills regardless of the backfield split, especially with three offensive linemen leaving with injuries.
    Joseph Person, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Despite the fact ostrich feathers can be harvested without slaughtering, Collective Fashion Justice published research in 2023 that found all ostrich feather production systems ultimately kill the bird.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Butchering an animal for meat — slaughtering cows, pigs, lambs — was an act of necessity, not pleasure.
    Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Before the night was out, Germans began chipping away at the barrier, carrying off chunks of one of the symbols of the diminishing Iron Curtain.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Activists, ministers, and community members came and went, day and night, their booming voices carrying off into the Philadelphia air.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Cormican and sheriff’s deputies spent that afternoon traveling back and forth across the lake at about four miles an hour, as if mowing a lawn, pulling the towfish on a cable behind them.
    Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The gang starts getting creepy, threatening notes right as Ghostface shows up and starts mowing local teens down.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Killing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killing%20off. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!