slaying 1 of 2

noun

ˈslā-iŋ How to pronounce slaying (audio)
Definition of slayingnext
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

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slaying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of slay
1
as in killing
to deprive of life millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murdering
to put to death deliberately vowed to slay without mercy whoever was responsible for murdering his family

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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 comes on the heels of a violent week in Brooklyn. — Barry Paddock, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026 The explosion targeting Ranucci occurred on the eighth anniversary of the car bomb slaying of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who wrote extensively about suspected corruption in political and business circles. — CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
An Oregon man was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for a November 1981 Griffith cold case slaying. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026 In that case, authorities believe the mother was responsible for slaying the family and then killing herself. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for slaying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaying
  1. murder
  2. killing
  3. murdering
  4. homicide
  5. destroying
  6. assassinating
  7. executing
Noun
  • The 63-year-old Davis was convicted Monday of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and could be sentenced to life in prison.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in the January 2023 strangulation deaths of her three children – Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months – at the family's Duxbury, Massachusetts, home.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of murder
Verb
  • Investigators determined that Hollander had likely targeted the home with the intention of killing Esther.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The jury could not reach a verdict in the murder trial of the Massachusetts mother who admitted to killing her three children.
    — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • Clancy's case isn't the first to involve a mother accused of murdering her children.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The singer is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of murdering
Noun
  • Troopers from the New Jersey State Police Marine Bureau arrested Kevin Wells, 40, of Warren, New Jersey, on Friday, charging him with vehicular homicide and two counts of assault by vessel while intoxicated.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The 10-episode drama stars Liev Schreiber as Jonah Lynn, a former soldier turned homicide detective who moves to a small town in western Pennsylvania after working the tough streets of Philadelphia.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of homicide
Verb
  • Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • 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
  • Ferrell instead starred as the villainous mogul Jacobim Mugatu, who attempts to brainwash Derek into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
Definition of assassinating
Verb
  • Ternus’s expertise in executing on Apple’s product roadmap and maintaining the company’s high engineering standards signals a commitment to a central pillar of the Apple brand, even as the company seeks to evolve with the times.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In early 2026, satellite images revealed Akinci drones deployed in southern Egypt for executing strikes against the Rapid Support Forces fighting in the bloody civil war in neighboring Sudan.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of executing

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Cite this Entry

“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaying. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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