1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the murderous heat of the desert
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
those exams were murderous
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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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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
The whiteprint is irrefutable evidence of the Nazis’ murderous intent.
—
Elliott Broidy, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
The story picks up where the last ended, as 12-year-old Spike is forcibly conscripted into joining a small band of murderous adolescents in blond wigs.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 25 Jan. 2026
Certainly heroic for repeatedly rebelling against a murderous regime armed to the teeth.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
In rip-roaring zombie sequel, Sir Jimmy Crystal leads a gang of murderous zealots known as the Jimmies.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Elliott Broidy, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
The story picks up where the last ended, as 12-year-old Spike is forcibly conscripted into joining a small band of murderous adolescents in blond wigs.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 25 Jan. 2026
Certainly heroic for repeatedly rebelling against a murderous regime armed to the teeth.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
In rip-roaring zombie sequel, Sir Jimmy Crystal leads a gang of murderous zealots known as the Jimmies.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
Adjective
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Enoch confronts the celestial hosts, all wearing capes of swastika red under an oppressive horizon of jutting lightning and glaring orange mountains.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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The film adapts Xianzhe Xu’s comic series and unfolds during China’s Sui Dynasty under Emperor Yang Guang’s oppressive reign.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This requires the difficult task of collecting precise, real-world measurements of complex nuclei and comparing the measurements with the models’ predictions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Feb. 2026
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While that process may prove difficult, the suspension option was hardly better.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Officers fired less-lethal weapons directly at demonstrators, and several fell to the ground bleeding and unable to move, the complaint alleged.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Legislators who disagree with Trump executed by lethal injection.—
James D. Zirin,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Before Getting Started When cleaning your oven, try to avoid using harsh oven cleaners or using the self-cleaning feature.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The origin of clemency is understood through the Federalist Papers as a need for mercy in instances when the criminal justice system was too harsh.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And for Waller, no request is too challenging.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Hired for the purpose of maintaining continuity after Rick Tocchet’s departure and because of his strong relationship with Quinn Hughes, who has since been traded, Foote’s first opportunity to serve as an NHL bench boss has been a challenging one.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Martinez and another man were charged in October with assault with a deadly weapon, accused of following the agents' vehicles and initiating the collision with Exum's SUV that led to the shooting on Chicago's south side.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The January 29, 2025, collision was the deadliest commercial aviation accident in the United States in the last 16 years.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As the internet blackout in Iran appears to be easing after weeks of protests across the country, the scale of the Islamic Republic regime’s bloodiest crackdown in decades is now being made public, according to activist groups.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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One of the bloodiest moments in that revolution, which deposed the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and led to the rise of the incumbent Islamist regime, occurred on September 8, 1978.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Nowhere perhaps was the searing heat more evident than at Melbourne Park, where the usual crowds thronging outside the Australian Open tennis tournament dwindled to a ghost town as temperatures soared.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Some might call it a searing eyesore.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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