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
Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
Los Angeles police homicide detectives believe the slaying of a family of four, including a 6-day-old baby, in a quiet San Fernando Valley neighborhood was the result of a murder-suicide, authorities said.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Behold, summer is officially here with two movies that are slaying around the globe.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Noun
Notably, van der Sloot did so long after the 12-year statute of limitations in Aruba, which meant he may not be charged with the slaying, according to NBC News.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
Los Angeles police homicide detectives believe the slaying of a family of four, including a 6-day-old baby, in a quiet San Fernando Valley neighborhood was the result of a murder-suicide, authorities said.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
Verb
Instead of slaying a burgundy and blue dragon by taking out the Avs’ second-best player, the Wild officially woke up the beast.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Behold, summer is officially here with two movies that are slaying around the globe.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaying
Noun
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Brianna and Kierianna Long now face several charges in connection with the May 30 incident, including assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to local reports.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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Nearly every murder is solved by the end of the episode, but despite the unusual twist of having the village vicar team up with the police, the real action comes from the relationships among the characters.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Tom then explains the actual Trolley Problem, the philosophical debate about having to choose whether to pull a lever that will prevent a runaway trolley from killing multiple people, but will still result in the death of a single person.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
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But the Israeli military has yet to fully stop hostilities, killing at least four people in separate strikes Tuesday on Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Verb
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In December 2025, Nick Reiner was arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents, beloved filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer/producer Michele Reiner.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
16 June 2026
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Mangione is accused of stalking and murdering Brian Thompson, age 50, a health insurance executive and father of two, on a Manhattan street in 2024.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Six homicide convictions There have been six homicide convictions in the seven fentanyl murder cases Gire’s prosecutors have filed since February 2022.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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Recent data show a 60% reduction in homicides between 2022 and 2025, with non-fatal shootings down by 50%, reflecting the impact of coordinated efforts among community groups, public agencies and healthcare partners.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Rather than destroying employment, AI would improve small-business competitiveness, seeding novel job categories around AI development, oversight, and maintenance.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
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This week's Thai attacks, which stem from a long-running border dispute between the two Southeast Asian nations, have also forced more than 20,000 from their homes in several communities, the Cambodian ministry said, along with destroying infrastructure, damaging temples disrupting public services.—
Morgan Winsor,
ABC News,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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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.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
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Yes, assassinating their leaders might have played into that.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
25 May 2026
Verb
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After gathering digital evidence, conducting witness interviews and executing search warrants, investigators obtained and served an arrest warrant Tuesday for the Yuba City man, according to a department statement.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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The overall concept of blocking and executing transitions while managing stamina is still at the core.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaying. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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