mercy killing

noun

Definition of mercy killingnext
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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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 mercy killing Too much damage has been done to the character in recent years, to the point that any death would be seen as a mercy killing now. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 6 May 2026 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 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
  1. murder
  2. homicide
  3. massacre
  4. assisted suicide
Noun
  • Detectives charged him with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for the vicious attack that killed his mother, 57-year-old Josefa Soto de Guzman, on Friday.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Hatami has spearheaded a number of high-profile cases against child abusers in Los Angeles, California, including the murder of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, who was tortured and killed by his mother and her boyfriend.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of murder
Noun
  • The Milwaukee Medical Examiner’s Office completed an autopsy, and said Hernandez-Lopez’s cause of death was listed as a gunshot wound to the neck and the manner of death was homicide, according to the complaint.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Anyone with information, video, or photos that could help investigators were asked to contact the police department's homicide unit at 3150-238-3821.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of homicide
Noun
  • Hong Kong — Two key organizers behind what used to be the only large-scale public commemoration for the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre on Chinese soil have been found guilty of inciting subversion by a court in Hong Kong.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Their lawsuit against Jones and the 2022 verdict marked the first time he was held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government to tighten gun laws.
    — Jim Vertuno, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of massacre
Noun
  • Luxembourg Luxembourg legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide in March 2009 with the Law on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 16 July 2026
  • In the past years, many French people have traveled to neighboring countries where medically assisted suicide or euthanasia is legal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 July 2026
Definition of assisted suicide

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Cite this Entry

“Mercy killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercy%20killing. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mercy killing

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mercy killing

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