1
as in funny
causing or intended to cause laughter
he's usually quiet, but occasionally unleashes some killing remark that cracks everyone up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
a killing schedule that requires the touring company to play in a different city every night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
1
as in destroying
to deprive of life
during the war more soldiers were killed by disease than anything else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismissing
to reject by or as if by a vote
the Senate killed the bill by a single vote
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in deleting
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it
I think that paragraph is irrelevant, so kill it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of
the long hike up the mountain just about killed us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in fascinating
to attract or delight as if by magic
with his dark good looks he would positively kill the ladies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in braking
to cause to stop functioning
kill the engine before it overheats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of killing
Howard Garrett, Dallas News, 26 July 2021
And Morgan put an end to his non-killing ways by chopping off the head of his bounty-hunting pursuer — stealing his axe and hat in the process.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Oct. 2020
Jasmine Mendez
follow, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Conor Healy, director of research at surveillance research publication IPVM, said Khamenei’s killing illustrates a pressing security dilemma for governments seeking to quash dissent.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Moments after an Air Canada jet collided at high speed with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing the pilots and hurling a flight attendant from the aircraft, the passengers took their escape into their own hands.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for killing
Adjective
For the few pests that do show up, first spray with non-killing repellents such as garlic and garlic pepper tea.
—Howard Garrett, Dallas News, 26 July 2021
And Morgan put an end to his non-killing ways by chopping off the head of his bounty-hunting pursuer — stealing his axe and hat in the process.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Oct. 2020
Noun
Investigators have suggested the killing may have been motivated by financial gain.
—Jasmine Mendez
follow, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Conor Healy, director of research at surveillance research publication IPVM, said Khamenei’s killing illustrates a pressing security dilemma for governments seeking to quash dissent.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
Ash recruited women by killing them with kindness.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Moments after an Air Canada jet collided at high speed with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing the pilots and hurling a flight attendant from the aircraft, the passengers took their escape into their own hands.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for killing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killing
Adjective
-
Why the Vaping Squirrels Trend Is Dangerous The viral clips might look funny, but the reality is far less cute.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The explanation is kind of funny, but also very much a seasonal sign of renewal on the barrier islands.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Palace’s remaining eight games are more challenging than those listed above in terms of the quality of opposition but might, counter-intuitively, offer them a better chance of success as more space opens up to work into during transition.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Directed by Lawrence Lamont from a script by Syreeta Singleton — both making their feature debut — the film grossed over $51M worldwide at a challenging time for theatrical comedies and has a sequel in development.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Baltimore City students in grades 3 through 12 who engage in the cleanup will earn up to four service-learning hours.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, the 30-hour period included firefighting, water-damage cleanup, and flare-up prevention.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The revelation marks a new development in the dispute between ICE and Fairfax County, which have laid out dueling accounts explaining their previous encounters with Abdul Jalloh, a foreign national from West Africa charged with the murder of Virginia mother Stephanie Minter.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The spot where Gary Herbst's remains were discovered in Wisconsin in 2017 – four years after his murder.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The man, purportedly Weis, who is now in police custody, was discovered late Monday night by security after hearing reports of someone destroying glass sculptures on the grounds.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran is massacring young people and destroying Iran’s future.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On this front, Hochul is correct to push for a reevaluation, and the lawmakers dismissing the idea out-of-hand should come up with viable alternatives for protecting New Yorkers from price shocks that are well out of their control.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Missé, of course, is upset about it, particularly because Margo brings up what Kimi said about the murder being drug related while dismissing it, which is the part that makes this discussion tricky.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Places left and right — colleges, cities, classrooms, even states that mark Chávez’s birthday as a holiday — are now deleting his name and image from the public sphere.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Experts say that in order to protect your data, start with a factory reset — not just deleting files.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
State troopers described the suspect as a male wearing all black clothing and a black ski mask.—
Frederick Sutton Sinclair,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Amelirad said Mohammadi had participated in anti-government protests that erupted earlier that year when Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being detained for not wearing her headscarf properly.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killing. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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