kills 1 of 2

Definition of killsnext
present tense third-person singular of kill
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kills

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noun

plural of kill

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
Verb
Spilling kills ocean wildlife, fouls beaches and disrupts coastal economies. Kristen Monsell, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026 Tragically, a collision which kills a parent bird may lead to the deaths of babies in the nest, too. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026 Damping-off disease kills seedlings quickly, so prevention is key to protecting plants. Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026 The use of shock waves, or blast overpressure (BOP), kills or disables enemies with the force of the explosion, vaporizing the weapon’s plastic outer shell. Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026 Frej Lewenhaupt, cofounder and chief product officer of Steamery, says that using one on upholstered furniture smooths out textures, kills bacteria, and removes odors. Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2026 He's not known for his power plays or penalty kills, but he is known for making friend and keeping them. John Lauritsen, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026 Everyone knows what happens — believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo takes actual poison and kills himself, causing Juliet to stab herself to death after waking up next to her lover’s lifeless corpse. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026 This act contaminates the water, kills all the fish, and makes the water non-potable. Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 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
  • For those who know the play well, some of Mantello’s choices are most striking, especially the horror here of the famous hotel-room scene with a tawdry lover (brutally played by Katherine Romans), an act born of loneliness that destroys a father’s relationship with his son forever.
    Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, affects more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In the film, Julian glibly dismisses their upbringing.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Ironically, Carreyrou does point to a 2015 New York Times article identifying Szabo but quickly dismisses it.
    Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Carrie makes the internal transfer on the system, moving me from my old role to my new one, ‘accidentally’ deletes the job listing from the website, and then rescues my employee profile from the digital abyss.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
  • If the option appears, then click Delete and Report Spam, which sends the report to Apple and deletes the message.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Glosserman even pointed to a familiar GEICO insurance commercial — featuring a masked killer who, much like Leslie Vernon, wears no shoes and overalls — as an example of how their cult film’s visual language has seeped into the mainstream.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
  • To do what was once unthinkable in the fashion the Sabres did this season starts with Dahlin, a leader who wears his heart on his sleeve every night and competes over every inch of the ice.
    Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This is your chance to pursue whatever subject most fascinates you.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The cause of brain freeze fascinates neurologists and Slurpee lovers alike, and the science behind it is especially captivating.
    Julia Daye, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 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
  • Some adoptees, including Yooree Kim, who was sent to a French family in 1984 without her biological parents’ consent and says she was abused by her adopters, have sought compensation under the state compensation act, which in theory allows victims to pursue claims without lengthy court battles.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • In all three shootings, federal authorities were quick to say the victims attacked agents or were planning to do so.
    Meg Anderson, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • These stretchy, flattering jeans come in a range of washes that are both leg-lengthening and easy to move around in.
    Annie Blackman, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Yung shares that one of the best ways to understand what your hair needs is to make mental notes of the changes between washes.
    Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Kills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kills. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.

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