as in murder
the act of ending the life of someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any further suffering
Some called her death a mercy killing.
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Recent Examples of mercy killing
For the rest of us, sudden death felt like a mercy killing.
—
James Horncastle, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Kelson teaches Spike how to grow beyond his parents, giving Isla a mercy killing and allowing Spike to place her skull on the top of the structure.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
While this was a funeral rite for some in the Roman period, the researchers think the man was decapitated as a mercy killing after the lion bite.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025
If the mercy killing wasn’t a big enough of a twist, the introduction of three outsiders who stumble upon the girls’ cannibalistic feast will do it.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
More secrets emerge, Chappelle says there’s no time to explain, even mercy killing the dog.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2025
DJ Anne Harris is largely focused on mercy killing her relationship with Siobhan for Siobhan’s own good.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 May 2021
The woman later gave mixed signals about her desire to die, but the doctor, in close consultation with the woman’s family, decided to go ahead with the mercy killing.
—Mike Corder, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2019
The doctor carried out the mercy killing with her family’s consent and support.
—Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2019
James Horncastle, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Kelson teaches Spike how to grow beyond his parents, giving Isla a mercy killing and allowing Spike to place her skull on the top of the structure.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
While this was a funeral rite for some in the Roman period, the researchers think the man was decapitated as a mercy killing after the lion bite.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025
If the mercy killing wasn’t a big enough of a twist, the introduction of three outsiders who stumble upon the girls’ cannibalistic feast will do it.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
More secrets emerge, Chappelle says there’s no time to explain, even mercy killing the dog.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2025
DJ Anne Harris is largely focused on mercy killing her relationship with Siobhan for Siobhan’s own good.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 May 2021
The woman later gave mixed signals about her desire to die, but the doctor, in close consultation with the woman’s family, decided to go ahead with the mercy killing.
—Mike Corder, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2019
The doctor carried out the mercy killing with her family’s consent and support.
—Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercy killing
Noun
-
Emails obtained by Fox 5 DC and WJLA-TV show that the Fairfax County Police Department had warned Descano’s office multiple times about Jalloh in the months leading up to Minter’s murder.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
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She is charged with murder and criminal obstruction of breathing.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fort Worth police homicide investigators determined a large group of people were gathered in the parking lot outside a warehouse on Northwest 35th Street when a fight broke out and shots were fired early Sunday, police have said.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Officers searched the Downtown Commons area near the Yard House restaurant and a Holiday Inn as homicide detectives and crime scene investigators processed the scene.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters, even having a shrine in his bedroom to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, prosecutors said.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters, even having a shrine in his bedroom to the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, prosecutors said.—
Jeff Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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OpenAI and the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, were named as defendants in several lawsuits that allege negligence, assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter, wrongful death, and other product liability claims.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Many of the plaintiffs suing the AI company allege psychological manipulation, wrongful death and assisted suicide, while others have filed negligence claims.—
Alnoor Ebrahim,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mercy killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercy%20killing. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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