1
as in destroys
to deprive of life
during the war more soldiers were killed by disease than anything else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismisses
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 deletes
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it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 wears
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 fascinates
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 deactivates
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kills
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
That extra molecule, according to the Cleveland Clinic, kills bacteria and removes stains.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 17 June 2026
For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
Every day, air pollution kills five New Yorkers and sends eight others to the emergency room, wheezing, coughing, and short of breath.
—Chris Hartmann, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
And when the least problematic character is someone that enjoys being a serial killer, that just kills for fun — talking about Claudia — that’s really saying something.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 June 2026
Vinegar breaks down detergent residue and kills bacteria for fresher, fluffier towels.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 15 June 2026
Francisco was sensational on defense too, with 101 blocks on top of 306 kills with just 50 errors.
—Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 15 June 2026
Two teenage girls, Katie (Amber Tamblyn) and Becca (Rachael Bella), are hanging out and discussing how watching too much TV kills your brain cells (how apt).
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 24 Jan. 2026
Cos-Okpalla clinched three of the last five points for Texas A&M with two kills and an assisted block, including a final kill over the middle for match point.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 19 Dec. 2025
Pugh then scored on back-to-back kills later in the set, scored on a block and scored on a kill for the final point of the set.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025
Harris had two kills during a 5-1 run that closed out the first game and a kill, block and ace during a comeback in the second game.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Originally, Shorty was out in the front yard for the very final moment, and the runaway rollercoaster from the beginning crashes into him and kills him.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
That extra molecule, according to the Cleveland Clinic, kills bacteria and removes stains.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 17 June 2026
For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
Every day, air pollution kills five New Yorkers and sends eight others to the emergency room, wheezing, coughing, and short of breath.
—Chris Hartmann, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
And when the least problematic character is someone that enjoys being a serial killer, that just kills for fun — talking about Claudia — that’s really saying something.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 June 2026
Vinegar breaks down detergent residue and kills bacteria for fresher, fluffier towels.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 15 June 2026
Francisco was sensational on defense too, with 101 blocks on top of 306 kills with just 50 errors.
—Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 15 June 2026
Two teenage girls, Katie (Amber Tamblyn) and Becca (Rachael Bella), are hanging out and discussing how watching too much TV kills your brain cells (how apt).
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
Noun
Texas picked it up in the second half and finished with 37 deflections and four kills — a kill represents three consecutive defensive stops — to stymie a Bulldogs team that had won four of its last five games on the road.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 24 Jan. 2026
Cos-Okpalla clinched three of the last five points for Texas A&M with two kills and an assisted block, including a final kill over the middle for match point.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 19 Dec. 2025
Pugh then scored on back-to-back kills later in the set, scored on a block and scored on a kill for the final point of the set.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025
Harris had two kills during a 5-1 run that closed out the first game and a kill, block and ace during a comeback in the second game.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kills
Verb
-
An agent that cannot reliably query real-time pricing and inventory, or that cannot preserve brand logic through a checkout flow, destroys the value that luxury merchants have spent decades building.—
Josipa Majic Predin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
April freeze destroys crops Early on the morning of April 21, temperatures in Maryland dropped into the low 20s after weeks of unseasonably warm weather.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Bisignano dismisses the criticism.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
-
Steve dismisses the idea, but Alice is already playing wing-woman.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Google continually deletes apps from Play Store.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Disney deletes all biometric numerical values within 30 days, except in cases where the data must be maintained for legal or fraud-prevention purposes.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Farrell, who also narrates in a soft voice, often wears a look of shy incomprehension, as if a beat behind in translating the world around him, a stranger in a strange land.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Non-inverter ACs feature simpler parts that are cheaper and easier to fix, but the stop-start cycle wears the mechanical parts out faster, so these air conditioners are more prone to frequent repairs and tend to have a shorter lifespan.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
There is something magical about a firefly that fascinates young and old alike.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
-
There is something about the play Harvey that fascinates me, especially for right now.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The man looks down almost immediately after the light turns on when the light deactivates.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
This higher temperature darkens the paste, slightly caramelizes the sugar, and deactivates enzymes that would otherwise break down pectin, resulting in a thicker, more cooked-tasting product.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Israeli strikes killed five people around the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, according to the official news agency NNA, and the army said a soldier was along the victims.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
As distressing as their circumstance is, Naim and Ryan are unmistakably positioned as heroic lovers, not victims-to-be.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Some tanks turn into rags after a few washes, but Quince's cotton modal top is a workhorse that holds up to endless wear and tear.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
-
Read on for more details and an expert's tips for keeping your sheets fresh in between washes.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kills. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
