1
as in killed
to deprive of life
millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murdered
to put to death deliberately
vowed to slay without mercy whoever was responsible for murdering his family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 slain
At least 25 Mexican National Guard troops were killed, Mexican authorities say, as supporters of the slain cartel boss took to the streets and lashed out in a spasm of violence that spread across the country.
—
Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Jackson had been homeless off and on for only about a year before being slain, his family says.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) pulled the credentials of a Ukrainian skeleton racer who insisted on honoring slain athletes on his helmet.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
Jackson was with King on April 4, 1968, when the civil rights leader was slain.
—Sophia Tareen, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … -- IN OTHER NEWS TIME CAPSULE – Archaeologists find 'elite site' on land once owned by legendary king slain at famous battle.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Jaden Grays was booked on Monday on suspicion of capital murder in the shooting death of Emiliano Serna, who was slain in the grass outside the house in the 7100 block of Avington Way.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated February 4, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026
Pretti and Good were both slain by federal agents on the streets of the city.
—Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Under Marcos, efforts began to exhume those slain in the drug war and relitigate their crimes.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Jackson had been homeless off and on for only about a year before being slain, his family says.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) pulled the credentials of a Ukrainian skeleton racer who insisted on honoring slain athletes on his helmet.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
Jackson was with King on April 4, 1968, when the civil rights leader was slain.
—Sophia Tareen, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … -- IN OTHER NEWS TIME CAPSULE – Archaeologists find 'elite site' on land once owned by legendary king slain at famous battle.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Jaden Grays was booked on Monday on suspicion of capital murder in the shooting death of Emiliano Serna, who was slain in the grass outside the house in the 7100 block of Avington Way.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated February 4, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026
Pretti and Good were both slain by federal agents on the streets of the city.
—Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Under Marcos, efforts began to exhume those slain in the drug war and relitigate their crimes.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slain
Verb
-
The Mexican army killed Oseguera Cervantes just over a week ago while attempting to capture him.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Amplifying the chaos were questions over who will replace Ali Khamenei, Iran’s late leader, who was killed in the aerial barrage over the weekend.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
They were met with savage brutality, with as many as 30,000 murdered by their own government.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Grace, who suffered the trauma of seeing her mother murdered right in front of her as a teen, protects Emily and tries to help her escape, only for the little girl to morph into a T-Virus monster that Leon has to incapacitate.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Los Angeles Fire Department and Mayor Bass have been criticized for their response during and after the Palisades Fire, which burned more than 23,000 acres, killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Accessibility Unfortunately the rooms that met ADA requirements were located on the part of the property that was destroyed during the fires.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That is exactly what has begun in Iran, after months of succession planning with the expectation that 86-year-old Khamenei could be assassinated.—
Robert A. Pape In The Los Angeles Times,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
What’s left of the Iranian regime is now even more vulnerable, as many top political and military leaders have been assassinated in the first two days of war.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The clemency warrant, issued in Washington and bearing Biden’s signature, was one of several documents critics say were executed using an autopen.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Earlier in the case, law enforcement executed search warrants and briefly detained individuals for questioning, but no one has been charged in connection with the disappearance.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slain. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
