slain

past participle of slay

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 Israeli officials have alleged that, in addition to the grueling conditions under which hostages were kept in by Hamas, slain citizens the group claimed were killed by Israeli strikes bore signs of summary executions upon their return. Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025 The left hasn't yet matched the reach of conservative influencers who seized on social issues last year, such as Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025 Devotion had found her limits, been slain by her limits. Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 The Stommes’ two older children were unharmed physically in the shooting spree, while Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski were slain. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025 But the classic dragon—reptilian, treasure-hoarding, and doomed to be slain—feels distinctly Indo-European. Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 Murray, 72, was found slain and bound with duct tape and zip ties in the basement of his home in the 3700 block of Newcastle after his wife called 911 to report a robbery. Christina Hall, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025 Beginning in 1964 Nagasaki and unfolding over the next 50 years, young Kikuo (Soya Kurokawa) is taken under the wing of renowned Kabuki maestro Hanjiro Hanai (Ken Watanabe) after his yakuza father was slain. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025 The tempo supports his rapid-fire bars, though, balancing heartbreak over those slain with conviction for their cause. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slain
Verb
  • Tens of thousands of people have been killed throughout the conflict.
    Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The recent floods in central Vietnam killed at least 13 people, inundated over 116,000 houses and 5,000 hectares of crops, according to the government’s disaster agency, reported by Reuters.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Brady is also working with Kudos to adapt The Other Half, Charlotte Vassell’s novel about an ambitious young detective investigating the death of a posh socialite, found murdered on Hampstead Heath.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Paul had been charged with three felony counts, including boating under the influence, and was awaiting trial when he was murdered.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Prendergast, whose team discovered the devilish bee in the area, said the sighting of the insect shows the importance of understanding bees before their habitats are destroyed.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The Austrian painter’s record is expected to be shattered again by a monumental, six-foot-tall portrait of a young heiress that was looted by the Nazis and nearly destroyed during World War II.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Mexican journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís was assassinated shortly after interviewing Manzo in October 2024.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • His original, undoctored manuscript even suggests that James might have plotted to have Elizabeth assassinated.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Villages have been burned, civilians executed, and children targeted.
    Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
  • In January 2014, nearly 70 years after George was executed, a judge held a two-day hearing, which included testimony from three of George’s surviving siblings, members of the search party and several experts.
    Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slain. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.

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