SLAYING Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

slaying 1 of 2

noun

ˈslā-iŋ

Definition of slaying

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

slaying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of slay

as in killing

to deprive of life millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Noun

The slaying is the first homicide of the year in Central Park, which saw no murders last year. — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026 In 2023, Gellar brought her monster-slaying skills back to the small screen on the Paramount+ original series Wolf Pack, which was canceled after one season. — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

In a long campaign wielding the sword, converting Venezuela to the dollar would stand as his biggest dragon-slaying victory ever. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 The Manson murders spawned at least one copycat slaying in February 1970, The New York Times reported. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slaying

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaying

Noun

The boy was booked into Placer County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of murder, Gaines said.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Three men in Mexico received 158-year prison sentences Friday for the murders of Australian surfers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Redd Rhoad.

— Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of murder

Verb

Authorities are investigating what led a 16-year-old shooter to force entry into his former elementary school in Bend, Oregon, and fire into a special needs classroom on Thursday, killing three children and a young teacher.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Over the next seven years, Saudi Arabia carried out waves of airstrikes against the Houthis, often killing civilians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of killing

Verb

The Lahis case nevertheless established an early precedent for leniency toward an Israeli soldier convicted of murdering Arab civilians.

— Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Caleb Flynn, a pastor who competed on American Idol season 12, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, AP News reports.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of murdering

Noun

Roughly a dozen agents from Quantico, Virginia, and Philadelphia homicide detectives are processing the home and surrounding the property.

— Joe Holden, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
The police department said the tip was flagged as spam and was never forwarded to homicide investigators.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of homicide

Verb

Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on Saturday, spawning tornadoes, destroying buildings and downing power lines across the Gulf region.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026
Israeli soldiers filmed themselves in high definition laughing, looting homes, destroying entire rows of buildings, humiliating civilians, even killing them.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

Washington hoped that assassinating Khamenei would prompt a mass antigovernment uprising.

— Narges Bajoghli, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will stand trial after a Utah judge ruled Tuesday that prosecutors presented enough evidence to move forward on all seven charges against him.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of assassinating

Verb

The next steps include executing on a vendor contract with Site Stream LLC, the city said the contract is currently under final legal review and will be signed soon.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Traditional CPUs excel at sequential computing tasks, such as calculating a massive spreadsheet or running a precise physics simulation, as these often require executing steps in strict order at blazing speeds.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of executing

Browse Nearby Words

slayers

slaying

slayings

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaying. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of slaying

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes