as in slaughters
the killing of a large number of people
the infamous massacre of more than 200 Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in murders
to kill on a large scale
the country's rival ethnic groups began massacring one another
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of massacres
Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The phrase evokes memories of the mass executions of political prisoners during that decade, culminating in the 1988 prison massacres, for which no official has ever been held accountable.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
They are used as a pretext to justify the siege, shelling and massacres committed against civilians.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Kurdistan was the exception, where resistance, military confrontation and state violence, including massacres, continued for several years.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2026
There were massacres, suppression of speech, banning of political opposition, closing of non-Islamist press, jailing of opponents and public executions of political and religious enemies.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
Israel is similarly concerned that Sharaa continues to be inspired by Islamic extremism and reports of ethnic minority massacres within the country.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Although that may have been the case, over time the AUC became a brutal criminal organization responsible for some of the worst massacres and forced displacements in Colombian history.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
Today’s massacres, whether one believes the most conservative or liberal casualty estimates, are on an order of magnitude deadlier in every conceivable aspect.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The phrase evokes memories of the mass executions of political prisoners during that decade, culminating in the 1988 prison massacres, for which no official has ever been held accountable.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
As the Islamic Republic massacres protesters, exiles are dismayed by the lack of sympathy from the American left.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
They are used as a pretext to justify the siege, shelling and massacres committed against civilians.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Kurdistan was the exception, where resistance, military confrontation and state violence, including massacres, continued for several years.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2026
There were massacres, suppression of speech, banning of political opposition, closing of non-Islamist press, jailing of opponents and public executions of political and religious enemies.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
Israel is similarly concerned that Sharaa continues to be inspired by Islamic extremism and reports of ethnic minority massacres within the country.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Although that may have been the case, over time the AUC became a brutal criminal organization responsible for some of the worst massacres and forced displacements in Colombian history.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
The Polish government considers the Volhynia and Galicia massacres a genocide, and holds Bandera equal in infamy to Nazi war criminals of the same era.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for massacres
Noun
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Hands-down one of the most disgusting movies ever made (a compliment), the film finds the indefatigable slasher, who was decapitated at the end of Terrifier 2, reattaching his head and commencing his ritual slaughters.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Perez, a 63-year-old transient man, was convicted of the child murders from 1992 through 2001 throughout Central and Northern California, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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Gun murders rare Until Sunday, Australia had decades of proof that tough gun laws can make a country safer with one of the world’s lowest gun homicide rates, per capita.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
15 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Michael David McKee was arrested over the weekend in Illinois on two counts of murder in the deaths of Monique Tepe and her husband, Spencer.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
13 Jan. 2026
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Advertisement What makes these cuts particularly remarkable is that on May 14, 2025, the Division of Overdose Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had announced, based on provisional data, that the number of overdose deaths in 2024 had dropped 27%.—
Charles LeBaron,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Massacres.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/massacres. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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