slayings

noun

plural of slaying
as in murders
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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slayings
  1. murders
  2. homicides
  3. killings
Noun
  • What remains disputed is whether those beliefs motivated the Tate-LaBianca murders or whether, as Berlinger argues, prosecutors elevated them into the central theory of their case.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Scream saga began with a ringing phone and one of the most surprising murders in horror-movie history.
    — Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of murders
Noun
  • In Puerto Rico, rates of intimate partner homicides and femicides are roughly double per capita compared to the mainland United States.
    — Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But steep drops in shootings and homicides in other parts of Chicago mean that the number of shootings citywide is 2% lower than the same period last year, while homicides are up slightly, by 4%.
    — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of homicides
Noun
  • The Johnson County District Court sentenced Robinson to death for the killings of two women and to life in prison in Kansas for the killing of a third.
    — Alexa Newsom, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
  • Myung Jin Kim, 31, was wanted in connection with two killings, including a botched murder-for-hire plot in San Jose in 2016 and the killing of Kim’s friend in the parking lot of a CVS in Westminster two years later.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Definition of killings
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Slayings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slayings. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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