1
as in killed
to deprive of life
millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of slain
The Staten Island father of three was the ninth livery driver slain in the first four months of 2000.
—
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump has fired the vast majority of his Middle Eastern experts, while dozens of Iran’s top officials have been slain in the conflict.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Apr. 2026
At least 35 searchers have been slain in Mexico since 2010, according to Article 19, a rights group.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The targeting of the three journalists comes two days after the killing of the photojournalist/camera operated Hussain Hamood, and nine days following the killing of Al-Manar head of programming Mohammed Sherri, who was slain in an Israeli strike in central Beirut.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
During the national anthem Friday, the Iranian team honored the memory of the slain children by placing small pink and purple school backpacks in front of them.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The latest was Ali Larijani, a fixture of Iranian politics and repression, and one of the slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s most unflinching loyalists.
—Jason Rezaian, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
Instead, Smith was slain in a shootout.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2026
Demorcy said some bullets and fragments remained in the slain president's body because removing all of them would have taken days and further damaged the remains.
—Tania Francois, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2026
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump has fired the vast majority of his Middle Eastern experts, while dozens of Iran’s top officials have been slain in the conflict.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Apr. 2026
At least 35 searchers have been slain in Mexico since 2010, according to Article 19, a rights group.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
The targeting of the three journalists comes two days after the killing of the photojournalist/camera operated Hussain Hamood, and nine days following the killing of Al-Manar head of programming Mohammed Sherri, who was slain in an Israeli strike in central Beirut.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
During the national anthem Friday, the Iranian team honored the memory of the slain children by placing small pink and purple school backpacks in front of them.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The latest was Ali Larijani, a fixture of Iranian politics and repression, and one of the slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s most unflinching loyalists.
—Jason Rezaian, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
Instead, Smith was slain in a shootout.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2026
Demorcy said some bullets and fragments remained in the slain president's body because removing all of them would have taken days and further damaged the remains.
—Tania Francois, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slain
Verb
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None of this comes as news to British Jews, still reeling from an attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur last October, in which two people were killed.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
-
One person was killed and another hospitalized after a stabbing attack in Burbank Monday, according to authorities.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The family of the cabaret artist Fritz Grünbaum, who was murdered in the Holocaust, for example, was able to recover works by Viennese Expressionist artist Egon Schiele that were in Grünbaum’s vast personal collection in 2018 after decades of efforts.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
During production, Fosse insisted that Roberts spend the night in the actual apartment where Dorothy Stratten, the real-life Playboy Playmate of the Year from 1980, was murdered by her husband and manager, Paul Snider, the role Roberts was playing.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While in the region, Curiosity recently utilized its onboard Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite, built to search for compounds of the element carbon that are associated with life and investigate ways in which these compounds are generated and destroyed in the Martian ecosphere.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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That investigation stemmed from a June 8, 1995, fire that destroyed a ValuJet DC-9 on a runway at Atlanta.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Utah Valley University has dropped its commencement speaker, Sharon McMahon, after conservative groups criticized her over past comments about Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on campus during his American Comeback Tour in September.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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The same forces also assassinated Lebanon’s president-elect, Bashir Gemayel, in 1982 and Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Thousands of people, including many students, were arrested as Iranian authorities launched a brutal crackdown to quash massive anti-government protests early this year, and some have already been executed.—
April 21,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The contemporary redesign, executed by architect Paola Navone, reflects that timeless Upper East Side refinement, too.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slain. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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