as in murder
the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life
a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in killing
to deprive of life
millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murdering
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 slaying
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Trevon Williams, 21, is accused in Saturday’s slaying outside an Airbnb on Gardena Avenue that left the teen dead and her child hospitalized in critical condition.
—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
ABC News,
26 May 2026
The two children the fugitive father spirited away to Mexico after Bravo’s slaying nearly two years ago are safe in Sacramento County with their maternal grandmother, said Sacramento and federal authorities at a news conference Tuesday in downtown Sacramento.
—
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Noun
The slaying has people in the retirement community on edge.
—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Trevon Williams, 21, is accused in Saturday’s slaying outside an Airbnb on Gardena Avenue that left the teen dead and her child hospitalized in critical condition.
—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
Verb
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was created in response to two gunmen allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group slaying 15 people at a Sydney Hanukkah celebration in December.
—
ABC News,
26 May 2026
The two children the fugitive father spirited away to Mexico after Bravo’s slaying nearly two years ago are safe in Sacramento County with their maternal grandmother, said Sacramento and federal authorities at a news conference Tuesday in downtown Sacramento.
—
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaying
Noun
-
Matos is charged with murder, carjacking, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury.
-
Directed by Hong Kong’s Frankie Tam, the film draws on Hong Kong’s first murder case solved entirely through forensic evidence and without eyewitness testimony.
Verb
-
In January 2024, Mansfield confessed to killing 18-year-old Carol Ann Barrett more than four decades earlier.
-
He is accused of killing a man on March 13, 2022, Broward court records show.
Verb
-
The ruling handed down on Tuesday affirmed the judgment of a May 2025 hearing presided over by Cuyahoga County judge Nancy Margaret Russo, the same judge who found Shirilla guilty of murdering her boyfriend, Dominic Russo (no relation) and their friend, Davion Flanagan, in a 2022 car crash.
-
Sam Worthington leads the series as David Burroughs, a father serving a life sentence for murdering his own son five years ago.
Noun
-
Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play and homicide detectives are investigating.
-
Pino faced charges of manslaughter and vessel homicide in connection with the crash, which killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.
Verb
-
Strikes and artillery fire were reported across Nabatieh district, destroying homes and residential buildings, according to NNA.
-
One video shows a surface to air missile hitting a drone but not destroying it; the drone crashes to the ground and explodes.
Verb
-
Since the start of the war in 2022, Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility for assassinating several senior Russian officers, some of whom have appeared on a public list of Ukraine’s enemies.
-
Yes, assassinating their leaders might have played into that.
Verb
-
Markets may not simply reward utilities exposed to electricity demand growth, but rather those capable of executing projects at unprecedented scale and complexity.
-
In May, Reuters reported that a Sudanese RSF commander who had been arrested after videos surfaced of him executing people in El Fasher was released from prison and is back on the battlefield, back to active duty.
Cite this Entry
“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaying. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
