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killing off

verb

present participle of kill off
as in blotting out

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for killing off
  1. blotting out
  2. taking out
  3. putting away
  4. knocking off
  5. slaughtering
  6. bumping off
  7. rubbing out
  8. carrying off
Verb
  • For a few minutes at each end of that window, the moon’s edge will appear to align with that of the sun, blotting out the star’s fierce light and revealing the wispy corona off to one side.
    — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 6 Apr. 2026
  • From up in the space shuttle, in 1983, astronaut Sally Ride could see the pollution blotting out her Los Angeles hometown.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of blotting out
Verb
  • However, Newcastle were still paid what was due to them (likewise Everton, who received sell-on and solidarity payments), as the first instalment was funded through Barca taking out a bank loan.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Reeger became a hero after taking out several Klingon cruisers at the Battle of Zeta Reticuli, but he was actually incapacitated at the time and took the credit for George's heroic actions, stalling Kirk Sr's career in the process.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of taking out
Verb
  • Joe also takes the chance to collaborate with Coop on a new and more effective system for putting away the toys, which is a relief to Coop.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But no series ostensibly for children has worked harder to guilt-trip adults into taking better care of their pets or belongings than the Toy Story movies, in which the mere act of putting away playthings is tantamount to mass murder.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Definition of putting away
Verb
  • The Colts were just one touchdown drive away from knocking off the Texans in the regular-season finale and securing a postseason berth, but an errant pass from Minshew on fourth-and-1 spelled the end of their season.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Corona del Mar has the favorite’s role after knocking off Edison last week.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of knocking off
Verb
  • In the present, Kirk has to stop Reeger from wholesale slaughtering an entire planet, which involves beaming into the bowels of the ship to sabotage the ship’s phaser banks.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Many have pointed to the pandemic for slaughtering a number of independent cinemas, but let’s face it, even with streaming easing, the format has made moviegoers more discerning about what’s worth their attention and dollars outside the home.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of slaughtering
Verb
  • In bumping off Ecuador 2-0 Tuesday night in the friendly confines of Estadio Azteca, Mexico has set up Telemundo (and to a lesser extent, Fox) for a post-holiday blockbuster against England.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of bumping off
Verb
  • Also on the trail is a gangster named Clyde (John Magaro), who’s been sent to redo the job of rubbing out the mysteriously undead Ida.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Definition of rubbing out
Verb
  • Zeus acting for his own pleasure underlies the evolutionary tales of small groups raiding foreign shores, carrying off women.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
  • 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
Definition of carrying off
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

killing fields
killing off
killings
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Cite this Entry

“Killing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killing%20off. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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