1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the murderous heat of the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
those exams were murderous
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
braved murderous machine-gun fire to capture the hill from the enemy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in murdering
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
Viking warriors became legendary for the murderous fury they displayed in battle
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of murderous
In an extreme fashion, the murderous, bootlegger-hunting executive caricatures how streamers have introduced progressively tighter restrictions on online piracy and password-sharing while raising prices on as many features as possible.
—
Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
The song is about a man who doesn’t appear to be murderous being the ultimate killer.
—Alan Light, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
That discomfort makes sense, as Pap returns to earth to let Juicy know his death was by Rev’s murderous hands, and the only way to avenge him is to make Juicy’s own hands a killing weapon.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
Maxine Peake anchors the entire episode on a physical and emotional level, bringing an equal amount of resolve and terror to her character’s quest to evade a murderous robotic guard dog.
—Steve Greene, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
The song is about a man who doesn’t appear to be murderous being the ultimate killer.
—Alan Light, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
That discomfort makes sense, as Pap returns to earth to let Juicy know his death was by Rev’s murderous hands, and the only way to avenge him is to make Juicy’s own hands a killing weapon.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
Maxine Peake anchors the entire episode on a physical and emotional level, bringing an equal amount of resolve and terror to her character’s quest to evade a murderous robotic guard dog.
—Steve Greene, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
Adjective
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And this immensely oppressive power threatens the very foundation of legal representation in our country.—
Tom Dreisbach,
NPR,
29 Apr. 2025
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However, because ecocriticism emerged in American studies prior to the field’s transnational turn, during a time that emphasized the localized subject as resistance to an oppressive nation-state, ecocritical thought has struggled to adapt.—
Abby Clayton,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Whitecaps won games in Mexico, which is difficult to do.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
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The transition can be extremely difficult for some.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Here’s what the bone analysis revealed about the man and how the researchers determined what was behind the lethal bite markings.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2025
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James Osgood will be executed by lethal injection just after 6 p.m. Thursday at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Vietnamese refugees who got a warm welcome from America puzzle at family separations, harsh rhetoric In Vietnam, Lam had owned three companies.—
Anh Do,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump has launched harsh immigration actions in his first 100 days in office—detaining more people for immigration violations, allowing arrests outside schools and courthouses, and sending more than 200 Venezuelan men to be imprisoned in El Salvador.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This is likely due to high interest rates and a challenging inflationary environment.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Preserving that right to choose is what will help the Maryland economy flourish and grow during economically challenging times.—
Albert R. Wynn,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At least eight people were killed in drone strikes across the country, a night after Russia launched its deadliest bombardment of Ukraine since the middle of last year.—
Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
25 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article A woman driver who fatally struck a 57-year-old pedestrian in Brooklyn in January has been arrested— three months after the deadly crash, police said.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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After watching in terror as a man violently attacked a police officer in an El Cajon fast-food restaurant, Iesha Booker checked for a pulse on the bloody, unconscious officer and yelled into the radio on his belt.—
Karen Kucher,
sandiegouniontribune.com,
19 July 2017
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Photos of the man in a hospital bed with a bloody mouth were also posted.—
Jonece Starr Dunigan,
AL.com,
14 July 2017
Adjective
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Pritzker — who was rumored to be on the shortlist to be former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate last year — issued a searing rebuke of the Trump administration, in his address.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2025
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Her viral speech in Minneapolis in 2020 remains one of the most searing indictments of state violence in recent memory.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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