as in deadly
likely to cause or capable of causing death
we were lucky that the snake's venom wasn't lethal, and our friend turned out to be all right
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Recent Examples of lethal
His job is to identify the objects flying above it, to distinguish birds and bats from lethal Russian drones.
—
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Not only that, but swimming pools can be lethal to frogs and other small animals.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 June 2026
In his lethal line of work, Lobo comes fortified with an arsenal of guns, blades, grenades, and a wicked titanium chain equipped with a sharp hook.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 6 June 2026
That suited an Atalanta side that was formidable on the transition, and a United team that can be lethal on the counter-attack.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lethal
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Not only that, but swimming pools can be lethal to frogs and other small animals.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 June 2026
In his lethal line of work, Lobo comes fortified with an arsenal of guns, blades, grenades, and a wicked titanium chain equipped with a sharp hook.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 6 June 2026
That suited an Atalanta side that was formidable on the transition, and a United team that can be lethal on the counter-attack.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lethal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lethal
Adjective
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Japan has long been battling a growing bear problem with deadly attacks reached record levels last fall.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Prosecutors contend the evidence shows Anthony escalated a verbal dispute into a deadly encounter.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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The fatal bear encounter at Glacier National Park occurred in the same week that two hikers were injured in a bear attack at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, according to the park service.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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The Sheriff’s Office did not release any details about a motive or what might have led to the fatal shooting.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Foxglove Foxglove features beautiful trumpet-like blossoms that are poisonous to cats.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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Some have thorns or spines, others have poisonous leaves or berries, and still others have…elaborate chemical defense alarm systems?—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lethal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lethal. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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