assassinate

verb

as·​sas·​si·​nate ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce assassinate (audio)
assassinated; assassinating
Synonyms of assassinatenext

transitive verb

1
: to murder (a usually prominent person) by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons
a plot to assassinate the governor
2
: to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously
assassinate a man's character
assassinator
ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnā-tər How to pronounce assassinate (audio)
noun

Synonyms

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Choose the Right Synonym for assassinate

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life.

kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Examples of assassinate in a Sentence

They discovered a secret plot to assassinate the governor. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Read More Trump supporter accused of plotting to assassinate Trump at CA rally. — Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025 While speaking to news outlets, Bianco wrongly accused Miller of plotting to assassinate Trump, defaming him as a result, the complaint says. — Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 13 Mar. 2025 Calling for the impeachment of judges who rule against the president – as President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk and several Republican lawmakers have recently – may seem a far cry from attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court justice. — Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025 His daughter Sara was herself impeached last month on a range of accusations that include plotting to assassinate the new president. — Rob Picheta, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assassinate

Word History

Etymology

see assassin

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of assassinate was in 1600

Rhymes for assassinate

See All Rhymes for assassinate

Browse Nearby Words

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assassinate
assassination
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Cite this Entry

“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassinate. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

assassinate

verb
as·​sas·​si·​nate ə-ˈsas-ᵊn-ˌāt How to pronounce assassinate (audio)
assassinated; assassinating
: to murder a usually important person by a surprise or secret attack
assassination
ə-ˌsas-ᵊn-ˈā-shən How to pronounce assassinate (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on assassinate

Nglish: Translation of assassinate for Spanish Speakers

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