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
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Recent Examples of slaying
Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Hollywood power lawyer Alan Jackson is speaking out about his brief time representing Nick Reiner in a first-degree murder case over the slaying of his parents Rob and Michele Reiner.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Three human artists, EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna, are the singing voices of the demon-slaying main characters.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Noun
Proceed with caution, faithful readers… The die is cast — the traitors and faithfuls have been chosen, and their clothes are doing the slaying (all puns intended).
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Hollywood power lawyer Alan Jackson is speaking out about his brief time representing Nick Reiner in a first-degree murder case over the slaying of his parents Rob and Michele Reiner.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
The serpent-slaying formula likely traces back to an old Indo-European myth.
—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Three human artists, EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna, are the singing voices of the demon-slaying main characters.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaying
Noun
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The number of killings investigated last year fell to 67, with 57 of those categorized as murders — excluding cases such as justifiable homicides — a total not seen since 1967, according to data compiled by this news organization.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Jackson, who famously won an acquittal in the murder trial of Karen Read and represented disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, did not explain his decision to withdraw from the case.—
Matt Gutman,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The mullahs have responded by killing thousands of demonstrators and arresting thousands more, most of whom will be executed if the regime survives.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Two officers then fired back, killing him, according to Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley.—
Stephanie Douglas,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The film takes place almost entirely in one location, a jury deliberation room, where 12 jurors must decide on a verdict in a case involving an 18-year-old accused of murdering his father.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Jan. 2026
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Hedquist was convicted in 1995 of murdering 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The suspect, 27-year-old Eric Ramon Alcantara-Guevara, is charged with vehicular homicide, DUI and leaving the scene of an accident knowing a death resulted following the crash Sunday night on Interstate 640 West in Knoxville.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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The double-homicide led to an intense, days-long manhunt for the suspect.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By the 1960s, gas flares and untreated waste spillage were destroying their forests.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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And there is a risk of the parasites becoming dormant for years before reactivating and destroying a new cornea.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In Michocán in the fall, the Jalisco cartel is accused of assassinating a prominent mayor who had vowed to hold criminals accountable.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2026
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When Oswald is moments away from assassinating JFK, Jake intervenes and fatally shoots Oswald, stopping the assassination from happening.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The agency obtained them last week by executing a search warrant.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Jan. 2026
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Investigators placed Dongas at the scene of the crime after executing a search warrant on his phone.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaying. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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