assassinate
verb
as·sas·si·nate
ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnāt 
assassinated; assassinating
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
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
The expiration date marks the day the Prime Minister of Granada, Maurice Bishop, was assassinated by a firing squad, which was followed by a U.S. military invasion.
—
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
One 1964 document showed that two intelligence assets discussed potentially assassinating Castro under the administration of President Lyndon Johnson.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2025
The president assassinated, then Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights [Movement].
—Susan Young, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Last November, Vice President Duterte-Carpio even publicly threatened to have Marcos assassinated.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassinate
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.
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
One 1964 document showed that two intelligence assets discussed potentially assassinating Castro under the administration of President Lyndon Johnson.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2025
The president assassinated, then Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights [Movement].
—Susan Young, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Last November, Vice President Duterte-Carpio even publicly threatened to have Marcos assassinated.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassinate
Cite this Entry
“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassinate. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
assassinate
verb
as·sas·si·nate
ə-ˈsas-ᵊn-ˌāt
assassinated; assassinating
: to murder a usually important person by a surprise or secret attack
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share